EAR  L 
READE 

OBERN 


-^^- 

SO' 


LIBRARY 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

SANTA  BARBARA 

PRESENTED  BY 

GEORGE   OBERN 


BUSINESS  ADMINISTRATION 

A  Library  of  Business  Principles,  Practice,  and  Experience 

Editor-in-Chief 
WALTER  D.  MOODY 

Former  General  Manager,  Chicago  Association  of  Commerce 

Managing  Director,  Chicago  Plan  Commission 

Author,  "Men  Who  Sell  Things" 

Managing  Editor 

WILLIAM  BETHKE,  M.A. 

Department  of  Business  Administration 
LaSalle  Extension  University 


LaSalle  Extension  University 


BUSINESS     ADMINISTRATION 

B^ing  an  organired  pre«?ntfttion  of  th«  proh>- 
Icms  of  business  management  prepared  by  an 
imusual  group  of  successful  and  authoritative 


Organizers,  Educators,  and  Business  Experts 


Irvis(.  R.  Allen 

SaUs  CouHstlor,  Chicato 

William  Bethke,  M.A. 

liiu^alioniil  Dirr,lor 
LaSaUt  Lxtfnston  Cnirrrsih 

Ernest  Lidlow  Bogart,  I'h.D. 

I'roffssor  of  luonomus 
L'nirersity  of  lUinoii 

Theodore  E.  Burton,  LL.D. 

Formtr  L'nileJ  Stales  Senator 

Harry  J.  Carpenter 

.V.i/i<mj/  Bank  o/  Cummerce 
.%>«•  York 

].  \V.  Cobey 

Formerly    Traffic    MaHoger.    National   Cash 
Register  Company 

E.  F.  Dahm,  B.A. 

LaSalle  Extension  University 
Formerly  Assistant  Director 
Retail  Research  Association 

HlGO   DlEMER,    M.E. 

LaSalle  Extension  University 
Formerlv  Personnel  Superintendent 
W'lnchesttr  Repeating  Arms  Company 

Coleman  duPont 

Chairman.  Equitable  Office  Building 
Corporation,  New  York 

B.  C.  Forbes 

Business  and  Financial  Writer 

LOL'IS  GUENTHER 

EjdiloT,  " Ftnaniial  IVorld" 

Arthur  B.  Hall,  A.B. 

Hall  &  FJli^,  Heal  Estate,  Chicago 

Fred  L.  Ham,  M.B.A. 

Director.  Department  of  Business 
Administration,  LaSalle  Extension 
University 

F.  C.  Henderschott 

AVtr  York  Edison  Company 

Samuel  D.  Hirschl,  S.B.,  J. P. 
Harry  Arthur  Hope,  M.C.S. 

Orianizativn  Counsel 

Federal  Reserve  Bank.  New  York 

B.  Olney  Hough 

FMlor,  "American  ExpcrUr" 

E.  H.  Kastor 

//.  H".  Kastor  &•  Som  Advertising 
Company,  Chicago 

Percy  H.  Johnston 

prtlident.  Chemical  Satmnal  Bunk 
New  York 


Edwin  Herbert  Lewis,  Ph.D.,  LL.D. 

Levis  Institute,  Chuago 

W.M.TKR  D.  Moody 

Lille  .Managing  Director, 
(7ii< ajo  J'lan  Commnsion 

Hu<iO  MUNSTERBKRG,   Ph.D.,    LL.D. 
Paul  H.  Nvstrom,  Ph.D. 

Director.  Retail  Research  Asscxiation 
New  York 

C.  C.  Parsons 

Secretary-Treasurer.    Collateral    Mortgage 
Corporation  of  New  Yc/rk 

Joseph  M.  Regan 

Eilttor,  "Bankers'  Monthly  " 

Alexander  H.  Revell 

president,  Alexander  11.  Retell  6* 
Company,  Chicago 

George  E.  Roberts 

lite  President,  National  City  Bank 
New  York 

Maurice    H.    Robinson,  Ph.D. 

Professor  of  Industry. 
University  of  Illinois 

Stanley  H.  Rose 

Foreign  Sales  Manager. 
Barber  .'Xsphalt  Company 

Charles  ^^  Schwab 

Bethlehem  Steel  Corporation 

\.  Leo  Sharfman 

Pmfessor  of  Political  Economy 
I'niiersity  of  Michigan 

Edward  M.  Skinner 

General  Manager,  Wilson  Brother^. 
Chicago 

J.  F.  Strombeck 

President,  Strombeck-Becker  ManHfaclurtng 
Company,  Moline,  Illinois 

Theodore  N.  Vail 

Late  President.  American  Telephone 
ami  Telegraph  Company 

F.  E.  Weakly 

General  Office  Manager.  Halsey,  Slnart 
6r  Company 

R.  S.  White 

Collection   Manager.    American  >^teet  nnd 
Wire  Company.  Chicago 

H.  Parker  Willis.  Ph.D. 

Professor  of  Banking 
Columbia  University 

John  North  Willys 

president.  Willys-Orerland  Compan\ 

Richard  P.  Wilson 

Halavia  Rubber  Company 


/^PERSONAL     EFFICIENCY. 
APPLIED  SALESMANSHIP, 
AND  SALES  ADMIN- 
ISTRATION 


IRVING  R.  ALLEN 

President,  Irving  R.  Allen  Company,  Sales  Counselors  and  Adviteri 


La  Salle  Extension  University 
•     C  h  i  c  a  g"  o 


Copyright,   1915 
LaSallk  Extension  University 


PREFACE 

Ask  any  man  anjavhere  on  the  face  of  the  globe  the  ques- 
tion, **What  are  you  most  vitally  interested  in?" 

And  if  he  tells  you  the  truth,  he  will  state  that  the  one 
subject  which  takes  up  most  of  his  time  and  thought  is 
himself. 

That  is  natural — as  it  should  be. 

The  big  problem  of  most  men  is  how  to  dispose,  profitably 
and  to  the  greatest  advantage,  of  their  services,  skill, 
ability,  and  learning — yes,  everything  which  constitutes 
personality. 

And  the  principles  here  presented  for  acquiring  personal 
power,  developing  personality,  and  cashing  in  on  these 
values  are  not  only  fundamental  requisites  for  a  suc- 
cessful salesman,  but  apply  everywhere  in  life — in  all 
business,  in  social  affairs,  in  politics,  in  the  church,  in  the 
home,  or  in  w^hatever  place  men  strive  to  achieve. 

Selling  viewed  in  this  larger  sense  offers  a  success  foun- 
dation to  every  man,  whether  he  is  directly  interested 
in  salesmanship  or  not,  simply  because  it  deals  with  the 
marketing  of  personality  and  services  as  well  as  the  mov- 
ing of  merchandise. 


CONTENTS 


PART  ONE— THP]  FOUR  MILESTONES 

I.     The  Awakening  1 

II,     The  Equipment 28 

Physical  Impression 34 

Mental  Impression   41 

Conscious  Impression 57 

A  Last  Word  on  Milestone  Number  Two 89 

III.  Selling  Personality   93 

Big  vs.  Little  Jobs 94 

Position  and  Promotion 100 

Steps  in  Getting  a  Position 104 

Answering  Ads 105 

Inserting  Ads   Ill 

Personal  Acquaintance    117 

The  Circular  Letter 122 

The  Importance  of  Systematic,  Persistent  Effort.  126 

The  Personal  Interview 127 

Winning  Promotion  129 

Promotion  Based  on  Merit 136 

Asking  for  Promotion 138 

How  to  Ask  for  Promotion 141 

Promotion  in  the  Higher  Positions 144 

IV.  Personal  Selling 

Opportunities  in  Selling 161 

The  Order-Taker  vs.  the  Salesman 162 

Standard  Practices 164 

The  Successful  Approach 166 

The  Demonstration 172 

Closing  the  Sale 1^1 

The  Reward  188 

vii 


viii  Contents 

PART  TWO— SALES  ADMINISTRATION 

I.     The  Product  and  Its  Distribution 

The  First  Principle  of  Distributiou 191 

Consumer  Demand  192 

Supplying  the  Demand 196 

Selling  Factors   199 

Factors  in  Distribution 204 

II.     Sound  Selling  Policies 

Value  of  Sound  Policies 208 

Price    209 

Selling  the  Jobber 213 

Dealer  Policy 222 

The  Exclusive  Agency 223 

Dealer  Help  225 

Consumer  Policy    226 

III.  The  Successful  Sales  ]\Ianager 

His  Problem    229 

Types  of  Sales  ^lanagers 230 

Full  Authority   231 

Attitude  Toward  Salesmen 231 

Supervision  of  Salesmen 233 

Shed  Details   234 

IV.  Bases  of  Compensation  for  Salesmen 

The  Problem 237 

Classes  of  Salesmen  to  Consider 237 

The  Three  Bases  of  Compensation 238 

V,     Controlling  Men  in  the  Field 

Difficulty  of  the  Problem 246 

The  Average  Salesman's  Method 247 

The  Four  Steps  of  the  Problem 248 

Review • 268 

VI.     The  SiVLES  Manager's  Records 

Records  for  the  Executive 271 

Classes  of  Records 272 


Contents 


IX 


VII.     Hiring  the  New  Salesman 

The  Appalling  Waste 277 

Hiring  on  Looks    278 

Hiring  on  a  "Hunch" 278 

Hiring  on  an  Organized  Basis 279 

Hiring  Stars    281 

Records  and  References 283 

VIII.    Training  Salesmen 

Training  Brings  Results 286 

Unskilled   Salesmanship    287 

Training  Methods 287 

The  Case  of  Specialty  Companies 289 

Train  Salesmen  in  Your  Line 292 

IX.     High-Speed  Helps 

Hard-Luck  Experiences    294 

High-Speed  Devices  299 

A  Sales  Clearing-House 310 


PERSONAL  EFFICIENCY.  APPLIED 

SALESMANSHIP,  AND  SALES 

ADMINISTRATION 


PART  ONE —  THE  FOUR  MILESTONES 
MILESTONE  NUMBER  ONE 

THE   AWAKENING 

A  shaft  of  moonlight  lighted  up  the  face  of  a  big  clock. 

Twelve-thirty — a.  m. 

In  a  little  office  toiled  a  man. 

His  shoulders  were  stooped;  his  clothes  were  worn; 
where  his  linen  showed,  the  edges  were  frayed. 

Around  him  was  a  mlderness  of  calf -bound  books — briefs 
and  papers  too — on  table,  desk,  floor,  and  window  ledge 
— eveiywhere — in  seemingly  hopeless  confusion. 

But  the  red-rimmed  eyes  of  John  Milton  gleamed  brightly 
through  his  heavy-lensed  glasses  as  here  and  there  he 
found  a  point  and  with  nervous  fingers  made  a  note. 

Suddenly  he  started. 


2  Salesmanship 

In  that  dead  silence  the  telephone  bell  rang  loud  as  a  fire 
alarm. 

Quickly  he  switched  on  a  light  in  the  outer  office.  A 
luxuriously  furnished  suite  was  revealed — heavy-piled 
rugs — massive  mahogany  furniture.  Prosperity  was 
written  large  on  the  face  of  it. 

Milton  hurried  to  the  telephone  switchboard. 

*' Hello  I    Yes,  Mr.  Lewes.    Milton  speaking." 

At  the  other  end  of  the  wire  a  heavy-set  man  in  evening 
clothes  held  the  receiver  to  his  ear.  A  napkin  in  one  hand 
showed  that  he  had  interrupted  pleasure  for  the  sake  of 
business. 

*' Milton,  have  you  got  that  Amalgamated  opinion  ready 
yet?" 

"No,  sir,  but  I'll  finish  it  before  morning,  sure." 

"Well,  that  has  got  to  be  on  my  desk  typewritten  and 
ready  by  ten  tomorrow.  Better  get  a  stenographer  on 
it  right  away.  Call  up  Hess — he  lives  nearest — and  get 
him  started  copying  it.  I  must  have  it  by  ten.  Under- 
stand?" 

And  the  receiver  went  up  with  a  crash. 

Slowly  Milton  walked  back  to  his  little  office — a  mere 
work-holo — so  shabby  and  poor  in  contrast  with  the  rest 
of  the  suite.    Feverishly  he  resumed  his  task. 


The  Awakening  3 

At  ten  sharp  next  momin":  the  door  of  Ezeniah  G.  Lewes, 
Counselor-at-Law,  opened  to  the  touch  of  Ezeniah  G. 
Lewes  himself  and  the  heavy-set  man  of  the  night  before 
walked  in — immaculately  attired — perfectly  groomed. 
The  very  air  of  him  carried  an  impression  of  success 
and  assurance. 

He  smiled  as  the  girl  at  the  switchboard  stopped  him — 
"Mr.  Burton  is  waiting  with  another  gentleman  in  j'-our 
private  office,  Mr.  Lewes." 

He  nodded  and  walked  in. 

The  two  men  waiting — heads  of  the  Amalgamated — the 
biggest  steel  industry  in  America — rose  as  he  entered 
and  cordially  shook  hands. 

On  the  glass  top  of  his  ornate  desk  lay  a  packet  of  typed 
sheets  neatly  bound  with  a  red  tape.  Across  its  front 
were  the  words: 

AMALGAMATED    STEEL   CORPORATION 


Opinion  on 
Birmingham  Holdings 


Personally 
prepared  by 

EZENLA.H    G.    LEWES 

Go  back  and  read  the  last  five  words. 
Poor  John  Milton! 


4  Sales  mwi  ship 

Lewes  looked  at  liis  two  visitors;  then  slowly  he  trimmed 
off  the  eud  of  a  large  black  cigar  and  lit  it. 

Burt<^)n,  President  of  the  Amalgamated,  unused  to  wait- 
ing, broke  the  silence. 

''Well,  Lewes,  what's  the  verdict?" 

Considering  the  fact  that  he  had  not  as  yet  even  opened 
the  document  marked  "Personally  prepared  by—," 
Ezeniah  G.  Lewies  was  in  no  position  to  answer.  So  he 
equivocated. 

"It's  all  here.  Just  a  minute — haven't  looked  at  it  since 
it  came  from  the  stenographer.  I  may  want  to  make  a 
few  corrections." 

Pen  in  hand,  he  opened  the  fruit  of  Milton's  all-night  toil 
and  read  it  through. 

At  the  last  page  his  pen  dipped  in  the  ink,  his  signature 
went  on  with  a  flourish,  and  he  silently  and  impressively 
handed  the  sheets  to  Burton. 

Burton  slid  back  in  his  chair  and  started  to  read.  He 
scowled,  bit  his  lip,  and  asked  a  question. 

Lewes  answered  it — quickly  and  decisively. 

Carefully  Burton  folded  the  opinion,  placed  it  in  his 
inside  coat  pocket,  and  rose.  "This  seems  to  cover  the 
thing,  Lewes.    Going  to  lunch  at  the  club  today!" 


The  Awakenmg  5 

As  they  left  the  office,  Burton  commented  to  his  com- 
panion, "Shrewdest,  keenest,  fastest-acting  business 
lawyer  in  America — that  man  Lewes.  Charges  like  the 
Old  Nick  but  his  work  is  worth  the  money. ' ' 


Back  in  the  luxurious  private  office,  Lewes  was  instruct- 
ing his  private  secretary. 

''Bill  Amalgamated  Steel  Corporation  $5,000  for  opinion 
and  conference  regarding  its  Birmingham  properties  in 
relation  to  the  Sherman  Act." 

As  the  man  turned  to  leave,  Lewes  called  him  back. 

"By  the  way,  what  are  we  paying  Milton f" 

"Forty  dollars  a  week,  I  believe,  Mr.  Lewes." 

"Raise  him  to  forty-five,  beginning  next  Saturday." 

And  in  a  small  house  out  in  the  suburbs,  John  Milton 
in  an  old  cotton  nightgown  tossed  restlessly  on  a  rather 
hard  bed,  while  his  wife  and  children  tiptoed  around  to 
avoid  disturbing  his  slumbers. 

Ezeniah  G.  Lewes'  yearly  income  exceeded  seventy 
thousand  dollars. 

John  Milton  considered  himself  in  luck  to  be  earning 
twenty-one  hundred. 

And — Lewes'  income  was  based  on  the  work  of  men  like 
Milton. 


6  Salesmanship 

V\)  to  tlio  time  of  his  discovery  that  the  legal  genius  of 
MLltoii  and  others  of  his  stamp  could  be  capitalized, 
Ezeniah  G.  Lewes  luul  never  made  in  excess  of  seven 
thousand  dollars  a  year  from  his  law  practice. 

And  the  seven  thousand  dollar  income  was  based  on  his 
personality  rather  than  his  legal  ability. 

On  the  other  hand,  up  to  the  time  he  entered  Lewes' 
employ,  John  Milton  had  been  literally  starving  to  death 
by  inches,  solely  on  account  of  his  inability  to  market 
his  brain  products. 

Milton — the  factory. 

Lewes — the  salesman. 

On  the  face  of  it,  comparing  their  earnings,  the  arrange- 
ment looked  decidedly  unfair. 

But,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  both  profited. 

Lewes,  capitalizing  the  legal  minds  of  others  and  market- 
ing them,  had  achieved  a  big  success. 

On  the  other  hand,  Milton  was  earning  a  sum  far  in 
excess  of  what  he  thought  possible  during  his  struggles 
as  a  free  lance. 

Here's  the  question  that  should  start  yo'it  thinking: 

Why  didn't  Milton  go  out  and  collect  big  fees  for  his 
own  work  instead  of  letting  Lewes  take  the  big  end  of 
the  money  and  a// tlie  glory?  1 


The  Awakening  7 

I'll  tell  you. 

MILTON   COULD  NOT  SELL  HIMSELF. 

He  had  tlie  legal  mind — it  almost  amounted  to  genius — 
but  through  laek  of  personality — selling  ability — never 
in  a  thousand  years  could  he  have  impressed  another 
man  with  the  soundness  and  value  of  his  work  and 
opinions. 

Lewes  had  discovered  in  Milton  and  capitalized  to  his 
oivn  profit  the  man's  knowledge — combined  his  own  sell- 
ing ability  with  the  other  fellow's  legal  genius. 

And  all  over  the  world — in  every  city,  every  town,  every 
hamlet,  you'll  find  today  and  every  other  day  men  who 
have  the  ability  actually  to  do  the  thing  but  who  lack 
the  faculties  necessary  to  market  themselves  successfully. 

Your  o^vn  experience  will  prove  this :  The  abihty  to  do 
a  thing,  without  the  ability  to  make  the  other  man  believe 
you  can  do  it,  discounts  a  possible  income  60  and  70  per 
cent — yes,  in  some  cases  even  90  per  cent. 


Let's  see  how  it  works  out. 

Here's  Phil  Harrison— on  the  surface  a  bright,  pleasing 
fellow — a  good  talker — but — he  can't  hold  a  job;  he's 
always  changing.  Something  wrong  with  him  some- 
where. „ 


^  Salesmanship 

But  he  novor  sooms  to  have  any  difTiciilty  in  securing/  a 
position.  WIkmi  other  men  are  idU^  lie  jumps  from  one 
thing  riglit  into  another. 

Let's  analyze  Phil  Harrison. 

\Miy,  it's  simple — clear  as  crystal. 

Phil  Harrison  has  the  ability  to  sell  himself — to  secure 
a  position — 

But  he  lacks  the  ability  to  deliver  the  goods — to  hold  the 
job  after  he  gets  it. 

But  if  you  could  combine  his  genius  for  selling  himself — 
for  quickly  establishing  his  listener's  confidence  in  the 
fact  that  he  can  do  what  he  claims  he  can — with  the 
ability  of  a  man  like  Milton  to  go  through — then — you'd 
have  a  100  per  cent  success — a  man  who  could  both  make 
people  believe  in  him  and  justify  that  belief. 

Now  here's  just  what  I'm  driving  at — 

Success  in  this  world  of  ours  is  fundamentally  a  matter 
of  salesmanship — of  using  its  principles  whether  in 
business,  society,  or  finance — of  applying  them  properly 
and  effectively. 

Now,  mind,  I  freely  and  frankly  admit  that  the  applica- 
tion of  these  principles  varies  widely — but  the  basic  prin- 
fnples  in  all  walks  of  life  remain  identically  the  same. 

On  the  face  of  it,  that  statement  may  raise  a  question. 


The  Awakening  9 

That's  exactly  what  I  tvanl  it  to  do. 

Most  of  us  are  in  the  liabit  of  re.^ardiu.c^  salesmansliip  as 
a  matter  of  one  man's  inducing  another  by  argument  or 
conversation  to  purchase  some  concrete  article. 

And — viewing  it  in  that  light,  wo  have  almost  lost  sight 
of  its  underlying  principles — the  ones  which  hit  home 
and  alfect  every  single  phase  of  our  daily  life. 

I  don't  care  who  you  are  or  where  you  are  or  ivJiat  you 
are — you  have  something  to  sell. 

So  have  I. 

So  has  every  human  being  on  the  face  of  this  earth. 

And  the  degree  of  success  we  meet  with  in  making  other 
people  want  what  we  have  to  offer  absolutely  and  posi- 
tively governs  the  returns  we  gain  from  life. 


Wyeth,  Craig,  and  Jamieson  w^ere  room-mates  at  college. 

But  school  days  were  over — their  ''Lares  and  Penates" 
were  packed  and  the  three  sat  listening  to  Dr.  Conover, 
Dean  of  the  John  Smith  Medical  College,  delivering  his 
graduating  address. 

The  good  Doctor  waded  along  through  a  sea  of  words; 
the  minds  of  the  hundred  odd  youngsters  who  sat  before 
him  were  more  occupied  in  trying  to  pull  back  the  cur- 
tain from  their  futures  than  in  listening  to  the  Dean's 
address. 


10  Salesmanship 

Ho  paused  a  moinoiit  for  breatli,  took  advantas^c  of  the 
re.s])ito  to  remove  liis  i!:lassos  and  wipe  tlicir  perfectly 
clear  surface  with  a  large  silk  liandkercliief,  and  then 
impressively  resumed: 

"You  geutknieu  have  a  long  summer  hefore  you. 
Very  few  of  you  intend  to  sUirt.  practising  your 
profession  hefore  fall.  I  strongly  urge  you,  instead 
of  idling  away  the  months  ahead,  to  spend  them 
on  the  road  with  a  salesman,  learning  how  to  meet 
people." 

For  fifteen  years  Dr.  Conover  had  made  substantially 
the  same  recommendation  to  every  graduating  class.  It 
was  part  and  parcel  of  his  speech. 

But  this  time  the  flint  of  that  thought  met  steel  in  the 
brain  of  Bob  Jamieson  and  the  spark  of  a  brand  new 
idea  resulted. 

Back  to  the  bare  room  that  was  to  know  them  no  more, 
the  tliree  went  for  leave-takings  and  a  farewell  inspec- 
tion of  the  "old  diggings."  Jamieson  brought  a  hard 
fist  down  on  his  trunk  with  a  crash;  he  spoke: 

"Fellows,  the  Dean  had  a  real  hunch  when  he  said, 
'Spend  this  summer  with  a  salesman.'  Ilis  idea 
was  that  we  should  learn  how  to  meet  people.  I'll 
go  him  one  better.  Let's  learn,  from  studying  a 
salesman's  method  of  making  folks  want  his  goods, 
how  to  make  people  want  our  services  as  physi- 
cians." 

Wyeth,  pre-imbued  with  a  sense  of  ethics,  threw  up  his 
hands  in  horror.  He  left  the  room  and  this  narrative  at 
one  and  the  same  time. 


The  Awakening  11 

Craig  didn't  stick.  He  finally  chose  a  "vacation"  and 
Janiieson,  the  enthusiast,  went  out  on  the  road  alone. 

The  summer  on  the  road  with  a  salesman  ended.  Jamie- 
son,  thoroughly  convinced  of  the  soundness  of  his  theory, 
himself  tunied  salesman  and  did  not  t<ike  up  the  actual 
practice  of  his  profession  until  late  the  following  fall. 

A  post-graduate  course  of  a  year  and  two  months  in  sell- 
ing goods  as  a  preface  to  the  practice  of  medicine — 

What  was  the  result? 

Jamieson,  the  "Salesman  Doctor,"  stands  today  at  the 
head  of  his  profession  in  the  city  in  which  he  practises. 

His  income,  his  assets,  his  standing,  both  in  business 
and  society,  testify  to  the  fact  that  he  has  collected  the 
living  the  world  owed  him — and  more. 

Right  here,  of  course,  you  may  say,  "Well,  he  would 
probably  have  made  a  success  anyhow." 

But  among  his  few  close  personal  friends  Dr.  Robert  T. 
Jamieson  (naturally,  that  isn't  his  name)  states  forcibly, 
emphatically,  and  in  a  manner  that  leaves  no  chance 
for  dispute,  that  the  knowledge  of  principles  gained  from 
his  year  and  two  months  of  selling  was  the  one  thing 
that  insured  dividends  on  the  seven  years  he  spent  in 
studying  medicine. 

Let's  analyze  this  thing. 


12  Salesmanship 

In  the  ordinary  course  of  events  it  is  extremely  unlikely 
that  a  physician  will  ever  have  occasion  to  talk  a  man 
into  payin^^  money  for  what  he  has  to  sell. 

Yet — that  physician  has  something  to  market  just  as 
surely  as  the  store  that  fills  his  prescriptions  has  drugs 
for  sale. 

And  the  degree  of  a  doctor's  success  is  measured  in 
exactly  the  same  way  as  that  of  a  salesman — by  his 
yearly  earnings. 

It  is  a  peculiar  situation.  No  profession,  no  business 
under  the  sun  is  so  restricted  by  the  "Thou  shalt  not's" 
of  ethics  as  the  practice  of  medicine. 

The  doctor  who  tries  to  sell  his  services,  in  the  ordinary 
sense  of  the  word,  through  either  "talk"  or  the  ac- 
cepted channels  of  publicity,  soon  finds  himself  ostra- 
cised— stamped  "Quack" — out  of  the  fold. 

Honestly  now,  can  you  conceive  of  a  more  difiicult  situa- 
tion than  the  practice  of  medicine  in  which  to  try  to 
apply  profitably  the  principles  of  salesmanship? 

And  j^et  you'll  find  that  the  successful  medical  man 
today — sometimes  consciously — mostly  without  realizing 
it — is  using  in  his  profession  the  very  principles  which 
enable  that  salesman  with  the  words  "Aetna  Life  In- 
surance" on  his  card  to  write  business. 

And  the  only  difference  lies  in  the  application.  The  fun- 
damentals are  the  same  in  both  cases. 


The  Awakening  13 

The  fundamentiil  principles  of  salesmanship  may  be  used 
in  two  ways :  first,  directly — through  words ;  second,  vn- 
directly — through  suggestion. 

The  acknowledged  salesman  sells  a  concrete  article- 
markets  it  directly — through  his  words. 

The  physician,  bound  by  ethics,  must  market  his  service 
— his  intangible  offering,  indirectly — through  suggestion. 

But  the  basic  principles  in  both  cases  are  the  same — 
identically. 

Now  let's  get  down  to  cases. 

Let  us  see  how  the  thinking,  intelligent,  foresighted 
physician  with  a  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  sales- 
manship operates. 

Let's  find  out  just  how  his  indirect  salesmanship  meas- 
ures up  alongside  the  direct  salesmanship  of  the  fellow 
who's  marketing  a  concrete  article. 

The  first  step  toward  accomplishing  a  thing  quickly  is 
to  find  out  what  we  have  to  do. 

Broadly  speaking,  to  make  a  success  tJiat  measures  up 
well  in  the  dollar  scale,  the  doctor  has  just  three  things 
to  do.    Here  they  are : 

(1)  He  must  cure  his  patients — get  results 

(2)  He  must  make  each  patient  produce  new  ones 

(3)  He  must  sell  himself  to  the  public 


14  Saie.'<niLni,sliip 

The  mannt'aoturor  who  aims  to  l)iiil(l  a  pennaiuMil  busi- 
noss  rcalizos  that  his  product  must  make  i^ood  for  the 
man  who  buys  it  in  order  to  insure  repeat  orders. 

All  rii>:ht— the  physician's  produet  is  the  results  ho  se- 
eures,  and  he  simply  must  have  repeat  business  to  exist 
and  build  a  practice. 

So  we  come  to  the  first  problem  of  the  physician :  how  to 
^et  results  for  his  patients — how  to  hiy  the  foundation 
for  a  big  practice. 

All  physicians  go  through  practically  the  same  schools — 
take  much  the  same  training. 

Remedies  and  methods  of  treatment  for  the  various 
diseases  and  ailments  are  so  standardized  that  if  you 
were  to  go  to  one  hundred  physicians  with  the  same 
trouble,  prescriptions  would  duplicate  themselves  over 
and  over  again. 

Any  intelligent  man  who  studies  and  applies  himself  can 
become  a  good  diagnost^ician. 

And  the  sum  total  of  the  three  statements  above  is:  One 
doctor,  provided  he  is  conscientious  and  capable,  should 
be  able  to  secure  the  same  results  for  a  |)atient  as 
another. 

P>ut  this  is  not  the  case. 

Whvt 


The  Awakening  15 

Consider  this  carefully.  Why  is  it  tliat  one  physician 
can  cure  a  case  with  identically  the  same  prescription 
that  another  man  fails  on  ? 

I'll  tell  you  ivJijf.  Simply  because  the  successful  doctor 
adds  to  his  mcdicuics  the  biggest  part  of  the  whole  thing 
— the  mental  part. 

And  the  minute  a  patient  has  confidence  enough  in  his 
physician  to  believe  he  is  going  to  be  cured,  the  job  is 
half  done. 

And — with  all  respect  to  the  medical  profession — actual 
statistics  show  and  demonstrate  and  prove  that  in  the 
majority  of  cases  confidence  in  the  doctor  is  a  greater 
aid  to  recovery  than  medicine  itself. 

Now  let's  leave  the  doctor  and  his  patient  for  a  moment. 

Did  any  man  in  the  history  of  the  world  ever  buy  any- 
thing where  he  lacked  confidence  in  either  the  house,  the 
salesman,  or  the  goods? 

No. 

Consequently  the  salesman — directly  selling  a  concrete 
article — must  establish  confidence  before  he  can  make 
his  sale. 

The  doctor,  to  cure  his  patient — to  get  results,  must  have 
the  sufferer's  confidence. 

And  the  principles  back  of  gaining  confidence  are  the 
same,  irrespectiv^e  of  who  employs  them  or  what  the  pur- 
pose may  be. 


16  Salesmanship 

Now  we've  made  the  first  step.  The  physician  has  se- 
cured results — secured  them  throuiz;!!  tlie  very  same 
methods  and  by  bringing-  into  phiy  the  identical  prin- 
ciples used  by  a  salesman  in  gaining  the  confidence  of  his 
customer. 

Now  you  as  a  man  selling  goods  on  the  road  realize  that 
the  greatest  asset  you  have — the  biggest  leverage  on  new 
trade  in  your  possession,  is  your  satisfied  customers. 
To  build,  you  must  capitalize  the  confidence  of  the  men 
to  whom  you  have  sold. 

Let's  see  how  the  talented  doctor  brings  this  same  prin- 
ciple into  play  in  making  old  patients  produce  new  busi- 
ness for  him. 

Remember,  the  doctor  can't  advertise  in  the  newspapers. 
He  advertises  instead  through  his  patients. 

He  gains  not  only  the  confidence  of  his  patients  but 
makes  them  enthusiastic  about  his  ability.  These  things 
he  does  by  bringing  into  play  the  same  fundamentals  as 
the  salesman. 

Now  no  matter  how  speedy  your  automobile  is — mine  is 
faster.  If  you've  a  good  dog — mine  is  better.  One  of  the 
oliords  of  human  nature  which  responds  most  easily  to 
the  slightest  touch  is  what,  for  lack  of  a  better  phrase, 
I'll  term  ''pride  of  ownership." 

Mrs.  Patient  is  treating  or  has  treated  with  Dr.  Blank. 
The  good  doctor  has  gained  her  confidence — aroused  her 
to  the  point  of  enthusiasm  as  far  as  his  abUity  is  con- 
cerned.   She  has  "pride  of  ownership"  in  Dr.  Blank. 


The  Awakening  17 

The  minute  anybody  mentions  "doctor"  or  ** sickness" 
around  Mrs.  Patient,  Dr.  Blank's  name  comes  to  the 
end  of  her  tongue  in  a  flash  and  the  claims  she  makes 
for  his  ability  and  his  honesty  and  his  conscientiousness 
are  stronger  than  he  or  any  other  man  would  dare  to 
put  forward  personally. 

Get  the  ideal 

Dr.  Blank  has  Mrs.  Patient  advertising  for  him — the 
strongest  publicity  in  the  world,  word  of  mouth,  delivered 
by  one  who  is  satisfied  with  his  service  to  others  who  in 
turn  have  confidence  in  her  judgment. 

Need  I  go  any  further  to  show  you  how  Dr.  Blank  is 
employing  sales  principles  of  the  soundest,  the  oldest, 
and  the  most  approved  kind?  I  don't  think  so.  Your 
verdict  is  already  given.     And  it's  the  same  as  mine. 

Any  good  salesman  vnW  tell  you  that  half  the  secret  of 
his  success  lies  in  spending  as  much  time  as  possible  in 
the  presence  of  people  who  should  buy  his  goods. 

Every  man,  woman,  and  child  in  the  world  is  at  some 
time  bound  to  be  in  need  of  the  doctor's  *' goods" — his 
services.    They  are  all  ''prospects." 

Why  do  you  suppose  the  doctor  joins  clubs? 

Why  do  you  see  him,  in  the  early  part  of  his  career  at 
least,  oftener  than  any  other  man  of  your  acquaintance? 

Why  does  he  always  recognize  you,  call  you  by  name, 
pass  the  time  of  day,  and  hurry  on? 


18  Sales))ianship 

JSiiiiply  because  ho  is  a  ^ood  sak'smaii.  1\q  is  s[K}iKling 
as  much  time  as  possible  iu  the  presence  of  people  who 
may  need  his  wares. 

The  average  man's  tendency  is  to  have  a  few  intimate 
friends  and  to  spend  his  time  with  them  whenever  he 
can.  The  doctor  has  the  same  inclinations  as  you  and 
I  but  a  large  number  of  cordial  acquaintances  are  worth 
more  to  him  in  a  professional  way  than  a  few  close 
friends.    So  he  governs  his  actions  accordingly. 

A  new  line  of  untried  goods  is  hard  to  sell. 

The  influence  of  a  long  list  of  users  is  a  valuable  as- 
sistance to  a  salesman. 

"Why  does  the  doctor — newly  graduated — before  he  has 
any  practice  at  all,  by  carefully  calculated  plans  and 
schemes,  contrive  to  impress  you  and  every  other  man 
he  meets  with  his  lack  of  time — his  rush  of  urgent 
business? 

Simply  because  he  knows — liJke  the  salesman — that  you 
and  every  other  man  have  a  tendency  to  "follow  the 
crowd" — to  patronize  the  place  the  other  fellow  docs. 
Plis  "rush  of  business"  is  a  decoy — the  first  step  toward 
really  getting  a  practice. 

Every  physician  doesn't  employ  tliese  methods.  It 
couldn't  be  in  the  natural  scheme  of  tilings. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  comparatively  feiv  doctors  are  suc- 
cessfully employing  the  principles  of  salesmanship. 


The  Awakening  19 

But — very  few  doctors  are  really  successful — 

Which  proves  tlie  point. 

One  of  the  most  successful  surgeons  in  the  world — a 
man  with  a  globe-wide  reputation — a  man  whose  name 
is  law  in  the  profession — has  outstripped  fifty  other 
doctors  of  equal  ability  through  the  practice  of  indirect 
salesmanship. 

I  can  place  a  chart  of  his  methods — his  career — side  by 
side  with  that  of  any  successful  specialty  salesman  and 
show  you — prove  to  you  beyond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt — 
that  they  are  both  employing  and  using  identically  the 
same  principles. 

The  President  of  the  United  States  had  to  ''sell"  the 
American  people  on  his  ability  to  hold  down  the  office 
before  they  elected  him. 

That  young  fellow  with  his  bride  on  his  arm  had  to 
''sell"  her  before  she'd  face  the  minister.  And  she  in 
turn  had  to  do  a  little  "selling"  on  her  own  account. 

The  whole  world  revolves  around  the  pivot  of  personal 
selling:. 


^&" 


And  you  can't  get  away  from  it. 


"Law — medicine,  they've  nothing  to  do  with  my  case," 
say  you. 


20  Salesmanship 

Granted — hut — the  very  fact  that  these  basic  i)riiiciples 
can  be  sueeessfiilly  applied  in  tlie  professions,  under  the 
most  difficult  conditions  imaginable,  demonstrates  and 
proves  that  they  can  be  brought  to  bear  on  yuur  problems 
with  even  a  greater  degree  of  success. 

But  for  the  sake  of  illustration,  let's  try  a  different 
field. 

We're  in  the  olBces  of  the  American  Manufacturing 
Company. 

At  one  desk  sits  Jim  Train. 

Next  to  him  is  Harry  Fever. 

Both  bill  clerks.  Graduated  from  the  same  high  school — 
as  near  alike  in  habits,  ability,  and  knowledge  as  two 
humans  possibly  can  be. 

Ten  years  pass  by. 

Let's  go  back  and  take  another  look. 

There's  a  big  desk  in  the  open  office.    On  it  is  a  brass 

sign— 

"J.  G.  Tr.un,  Head  Bookkeeper" 

That's  fine.    Train  is  deserving.    Glad  he  has  succeeded. 

jBut— just  a  minute— what's  the  name  on  the  door  of 
that  private  office  over  there?    It  canH  be— yes,  it  16— 

"H.  Fevt:r,  General  Manager" 


The  Awakening  21 

How  in  the  world  can  we  account  for  it? 

Dissipation,  self-imposed  handicaps,  play  no  part.  Good, 
old  Jim  Train,  tlie  Head  Bookkeeper,  is  as  steady  a  man 
and  as  careful  in  his  habits  as  Harry  Fever,  the  Gen- 
eral Manager. 

And  their  general  qualifications,  in  the  beginning  at  least, 
were  equal. 

Where  did  the  difference  come  in  anyway?  What  put 
one  man  so  far  ahead  of  the  other  fellow? 

Just  one  thing:  Fever  had  the  faculty  of  selling  himself; 
Train  lacked  it. 

Where  Train,  through  sheer  weight  of  self-evident  merit, 
traveled  one  inch  forward,  Fever  went  two  feet  ahead, 
through  the  exercise  of  his  selling  ability. 

And  in  this  particular  case  the  difference  between  the 
ability  to  sell  himself  and  the  lack  of  it  spelled  the  dif- 
ference between  forty  dollars  a  week  and  forty  dollars 
a  day. 

Back  in  the  days  when  they  were  both  bill  clerks  Train 
and  Fever  worked  equally  hard  and  equally  well.  They 
were  equally  studious  and  ambitious. 

But  where  Train  was  simply  an  efficient  cog  in  a  big 
wheel,  Fever,  through  his  continual  personal  selling,  was 
regarded  as  a  ^'live  wire" — a  ''comer." 


oo 


Salesmanship 


In  spite  of  the  fact  that  his  work  was  actually  no  better 
tliaji  Train's,  he  liad  "sold"  his  employers  on  the  fact 
that  he  was  fitted  for  something  better. 

And  w^hen  the  first  opportunity  for  promotion  came, 
Fever  got  it — naturally. 

xVll  the  way  up  the  ladder  to  the  General  Manager's 
office  Fever  sold  himself  for  the  step  ahead. 

A  while  back  I  spoke  of  the  faculty  of  being  able  to  sell 
oneself. 

It  is  a  faculty — born  within  some  men — totally  lacked  by 
others. 

But — it  can  be  acquired,  just  the  same  as  any  man  of 
average  intelligence  can  learn  to  play  billiards — and  by 
much  the  same  methods.  Understand  the  principles,  prac- 
tice, application — and — you  can  market  yourself  at  your 
true  value. 

And — chances  are,  your  true  value  is  far  above  what  the 
world  will  yield  you  if  left  to  itself  to  set  a  price. 


I  could  fill  two  volumes  with  examples. 

You  could  fill  at  least  one,  yourself. 

And — we  could  both  give  names  and  dates.    But — what's 
tlic  use? 

My  point  is  made — you've  got  it. 


The  Awakening  23 

Twenty  odd  years  ago  the  Kaiser  of  Germany  attended 
the  performance  of  an  illusionist. 

The  stage  was  draped  in  black  velvet. 

The  conjurer  and  his  assistant,  a  woman,  were  dressed 
in  white. 

A  few  mysterious  passes — the  woman  disappeared — the 
magician  was  alone  on  the  stage. 

Presumably  the  Kaiser's  eyes  bulged  out  a  little.  The 
whole  affair  was  very  mysterious. 

He  went  back  of  the  stage.  You  and  I  would  probably 
have  been  unceremoniously  ejected. 

But  royalty  was  graciously  offered  the  solution  of  the 
mystery. 

When  the  conjurer  ''disappeared"  his  assistant,  he 
simply  dropped  a  black  drape  over  her  white  dress.  She 
became  the  same  color  as  the  background. 

Now  there  was  a  principle. 

The  nearer  an  object  is  to  the  color  of  its  back- 
ground the  more  difficult  it  becomes  for  the  eye 
to  distinguish  it. 

The  world  has  been  warring  since  long  before  the  time 
of  Christ.  Brains  and  talent  and  thought  and — well — 
the  improvement  in  methods  of  warfare  tells  the  story. 


24  Solesmmiship 

But — wlion  the  European  War  broke  out  the  Kaiser's 
Dien  appeared  in  grass-green  khaki  suits — so  near  the 
color  of  the  general  hindscape  that  they  were  hard  to 
distinguish  from  it. 

And — when  winter  cloaked  the  earth  with  snow,  Wil- 
helm's  men  donned  white  overcoats. 

A  new  departure  in  warfare — an  innovation.  The  world 
gasped. 

And  yet — twenty  years  before — a  two-penny  illusionist 
— a  cheap  trickster — gave  the  Kaiser  the  principle  upon 
which  the  departure  was  based. 

Millions  of  soldiers  and  rulers  had  seen  the  same  trick. 
But  Kaiser  Wilhelm  was  the  one  man  who  grasped  the 
underlying  principle  and  applied  it  to  his  own  needs. 

Here's  the  thought. 

The  minute  you  grasp  the  principles  back  of  the  direct 
selling  of  concrete  things  and  apply  them  to  your  own 
needs — to  selling  your  personality  or  your  services — 
you  are  doing  what  Kaiser  Wilhelm  did. 

You  are  getting  ahead  of  the  other  fellow^  by  utilizing 
principles  that  he  knows  exist  but  has  never  applied  to 
his  own  case — liis  own  needs. 


I  don't  care  whether  you're  the  head  of  the  New  York 
Central  Lines  or  the  boy  who  brings  the  groceries  to  my 
back  door. 


The  Awakening  26 

you've  something  to  sell. 

Mr.  President  of  the  biggest  corporation  in  America, 
haven 't  you  something  to  sell  to  that  Board  of  Directors 
of  yours? 

You  young  fellows  who  are  trying  to  lift  yourself  above 
the  **ruck  and  run,"  if  you  haven't  something  to  sell, 
you'd  better  step  off.  The  world  is  full  of  men  seeking 
markets  who  have  something  to  offer. 

You  chaps  with  the  order  blanks  and  sample  cases,  no 
need  of  telling  you  what  you've  got  to  do — you've  got  to 
sell  or  fail. 

Everybody — all  of  you — high — low — in  between — bankers 
— doctors — lawyers — stenographers  —  preachers  —  office 
boys — millionaires — no  matter  who  you  are — no  matter 
where  you  are — you've  something  to  sell. 

AND  THE  SAME  FUNDAMENTALS  THAT  GOVERN  THE  DIRECT  SALE 
OF  TANGIBLE  WARES  GOVERN  THE  INDIRECT  SALE  OF  INTAN- 
GIBLE THINGS. 

Certain  simple  principles  govern  the  sailing  of  a  boat. 

Wliat  man  of  common  sense  would  hoist  his  sail,  tie  his 
tiller,  and  trust  to  luck  to  bring  him  into  port  when  the 
principles  of  sailing  are  so  easily  available! 

Sailing  or  selling,  it's  all  the  same. 

The  fellow  who  trusts  to  luck  is  wrecked  or  progresses 
at  a  snail's  pace. 


126  Salesmanship 

Tliis  first  milestone  is  simply  the  "why"  before  the 
"how's" — designiecl  to  wake  you  to  the  value  of  selling 
knowledge. 

If  you  agree — if  you  are  prepared  to  accept  the  truths 
so  far  offered — read  on — study  on. 

If  not — for  your  own  sake — lay  the  book  aside — and 
observe. 

For  one  week  w^atch  the  men  with  whom  you  come  in 
contact. 

Note  the  successes  selling  themselves  by  every  move — 
every  \vord. 

And  the  failures — watch  them  too. 

Then — when  you  are  ready — when  you  are  convinced — 
read  on. 

TEST  QUESTIONS 

1.  How  many  Miltons  do  you  actually  know  among  your  own 
acquaintances? 

2.  Who  are  the  Ezeniah  G.  Leweses  among  your  acquain- 
tances? 

3.  In  your  own  words,  how  do  you  account  for  the  differ- 
ences between  these  men  ? 

4.  What  did  Milton  lack  to  make  him  a  business  success  as  a 
lawyer  ? 

5.  What  qualities  must  a  man  possess  besides  ability  to  sell 
himself  in  order  to  make  good  in  the  business  world? 

6.  Just  to  try  to  be  more  complete,  to  what  other  occupations 
might  Dean  Conover's  advice  apply  with  ecjual  force? 


The  Awakening  27 

7.  ITow  may  the  ability  to  sell  oijo's  self  Ik'  acquired?  You 
will,  of  course,  leara  more  about  this  later,  but  what  is  your  own 
idea  just  now? 

8.  Make  a  searching  analysis  of  your  own  situation  and  list  the 
things  which  you  have  to  sell  in  order  to  make  your  work  a 
success. 

9.  At  this  stage  of  your  progress,  what  do  you  consider  the 
success  factors  in  the  life  of  Thomas  Edison  ?  Andrew  Carnegie  ? 
Abraham  Lincoln? 

10.  Do  you  read  the  biographies  of  the  lives  of  great  men? 
Why? 

11.  "What  facts  did  you  get  from  Milestone  Number  One? 

12.  How  did  IMilestone  Number  One  awaken  you  to  a  new 
conception  of  your  problem?  Did  it  arouse  any  burning  ques- 
tions in  your  mind? 


MILESTONE  NUMBER  TWO 

THE  EQUIPMENT 

At  the  curb  stands  Bob  Gray's  new  automobile. 

Its  graceful,  sweeping  linos  speak  of  c«re  and  thought 
in  design.  The  sturdy  build  conveys  a  feeling  of  strength 
and  reliability.  At  a  touch  of  the  throttJe  the  smooth- 
running  engine  gives  forth  a  roar  like  a  Gatling  in  action. 
Power  and  speed  are  unquestionably  there. 

Bob  Gray  doesn't  need  to  tell  you  that  he  can  make  Crown 
Point  in  two  hours  flat. 

Your  impression  of  his  car,  based  on  your  inspection  of 
it,  told  you  that  witliout  putting  it  in  so  many  words. 

Yet — alone  and  unaided — Bob  Gray's  two  legs  wouldn't 
take  him  to  Crown  Point  in  twenty  hours. 

His  equipment — his  automobile — is  the  one  thing  that 
makes  the  two-hour  time  possible. 

But — one  second,  please — stop  and  think.  Did  you  really 
know  that  he  could  do  the  distance  in  two  hours? 

The  answer  to  that  question  is  "No."  OUier  similar 
machines  you  had  -driven  had  covered  tlie  ground  in  that 
time ;  his  car  impressed  you  as  being  equally  good.    And 

28 


The  Equipment  29 

— on  the  strength  of  your  knowledge  of  the  performance 
of  other  cars  and  your  impression  of  his,  you  readily 
accepted  Bob  Gray's  statement  at  its  face  value. 

Now,  ten  to  one,  your  impression  was  correct.  With  the 
aid  of  his  equipment — his  machine — Bob  Gray  could 
easily  make  good  on  his  claim. 

Here — in  Milestone  Number  Two — you'll  find  the  work- 
ing basis  of  an  equipment — mental  and  physical — which 
will  not  only  enable  you  actually  to  do  things,  but  will 
largely  relieve  you  of  the  necessity  of  making  claims. 

The  mere  possession  of  this  equipment  will  impress  folks 
with  your  ability  just  as  surely  as  the  possession  of  that 
automobile  impressed  you  wi\h  the  justice  of  Bob  Gray's 
speed  claim. 

Your  ability  to  go  through — to  deliver  the  goods — will  be 
self-evident. 

And  you  can  build  up  within  you  these  obstacle-overcom- 
ing, winning  qualities  just  as  surely  and  finely  as  the 
maker  of  the  best  motor  car  in  America  constructs  his 
masterpiece. 

Ri^t  now  you've  the  raw  mateiial  in  the  shape  of  partly 
developed  and  latent  ability. 

We'll  supply  the  plans  and  directions  and  tools.  Study 
plus  application  will  produce  within  you  a  combination  of 
forces,  all-powerful  and  driving,  that  will  sweep  away 
difficulties  and  obstructions  as  the  warm  spring  sun 
melts  away  the  snows  of  winter. 


30  SdJestfmnship 

Your  siu'coss  and  iiiiiit'  and  that  of  every  otlicr  liiiinaii 
boint::  walkinc:  ihv  surface  of  tins  old  earth  of  ours  is 
founded  and  based  primarily  upon  two  tilings: 

(1)  The  Impnasion  Wr  Make  upon  Veoplc  with  Whom 
We  Come  in  Conta-ct  for  the  First  Time. 

(2)  The  Degree  in  ^Yhich  We  Build  upon,  Live  Up  to, 
or  FaU  Short  of  the  Original  I miyression  We  Make. 

Some  people  make  a  jLj^ood  first  impression  but  fall  far 
short  on  acquaintance.  Their  "wares"  won't  stand  in- 
spection. 

Other  folks  make  a  poor  first  impression  but  grow  with 
acquaintance.  Yon  have  to  dig  under  the  surface  really 
to  appreciate  them. 

But  the  ideal  situation  is  that  of  the  man  who  makes  a 
strong  first  impression  and  keei)s  building  upon  that 
favorable  foundation. 

Now^  if  you  want  to  appreciate  fully  and  test  out  thor- 
oughly the  bearing  on  life  of  the  truth  briefly  stated  in 
the  last  six  paragraphs,  go  back  and  analyze  the  impres- 
sions other  people  have  made  on  you. 

Then  you  can  in  some  degree  judge  the  importance  of 
the  impression  you  make  on  the  other  fellow. 


First  of  all  you  wan 


To  Impress  Every  Man  You  Meet  Favorably — 
To  Make  flitn  Feel  That  You  Arc  Capable— 
That   You  Are  Strong  Mentally. 


The  Equipment  31 

That  kind  of  first  impression  can  be  properly  produccfl  in 
only  one  way.  That  lies  through  really  possessin^t? — hav- 
ing witliin  you  the  qualities  which  make  this  favorable 
impression  correct. 

And  the  good  first  impression  you  make  by  that  means 
automatically  insures  the  second  result  desired — 

The   Longer  People  Know    You   the   More    They 
Realise  and  Appreciate  Your  Ability  and  Power. 

That  favorable  first  impression  j^ou  made  was  a  mental 
promise. 

You've  got  to  live  up  to  it  to  make  it  last. 

And  remember— the  profitable  part  of  the  whole  thing  is 
the  fact  that  possession  of  the  very  qualities  which  help 
you  to  create  the  right  kind  of  first  impression  enables 
you  to  back  it  up  and  make  good. 


There  are,  broadly  speaking,  three  channels  through 
which  you  make  impressions  upon  people  with  whom  you 
come  in  contact. 

Here  they  are : 

(1)  Physical  Impression 

That  which  people  gain  through  their  eyea 

(2)  Mextal  Impression 

That  which  your  strong  personality  makes  ou  the  minds 
of  others  without  any  effort  on  your  part 


32 


Salesm-anship 


(3)  Conscious  Impression 

Thnt  which  you  make  by  deliberately  exerciainp  certain 
acquired  powers  to  influence  in  your  favor  the  people  with 
whom  you  come  in  contact 

The  qualities  of  your  body  and  mind  are  the  primary 
factors  which  influence,  govern,  and  control  these  chan- 
nels of  impression. 

The  next  question  is :  Wliat  faculties  and  qualities  enter 
directly  into  the  making  of  Lmpressioiis  through  these 
chamiels  ? 

The  following  table  outlines  it  clearly. 


Physical  Impression 

That  which  people  gain  through      Made  by 

their   eyes 


Mental  Impression 
That    which    your    strong    per- 
sonality   makes    on    the    other 
man 's   mind    without   any   con- 
scious effort  on  your  part 


OoNscioos  Impression 
That  which  you  make  by  delib- 
erately exercising  certain  ac- 
quired powers  to  influence  in 
your  favor  the  people  with 
whom  you  come  in  contact 


Made  by  . 

APPEAEANCE 

HEALTH 

rEARLESSNESS 

YOUB 

SELF-CONFIDENCE 

Made  by 

MIND 

AMBITION 

QUALITIES 

WILL-POWER 

CONCENTRATION 

SINCERITY 

' MEMORY 
EFFECTIVE   SPEECH 

YOUR 

SUGGESTION 

Made  by 

USE 

TACT 

OF 

INTEREST 

INITIATIVE 

RELIABIUTY 

Just  as  a  stronuf,  clean  body  of  itself  makes  a  physical 
impression  through  the  eyes — just  as  surely  will  a  strong 
mind,  built  up  and  reinforced  with  the  six  component 
qualities,  make  a  mental  impression  and  have  its  effect 
upon  the  men  you  meet. 


The  Equipment  33 

In  the  last  analysis,  the  possession  of  the  qualities  nec- 
essary to  make  a  good  mental  impression  represents  the 
greater  part  of  that  priceless,  intangible  thing  which 
lifts  one  man  above  another — personality. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  seven  faculties  governing  the 
making  of  conscious  impression  you  use  as  knowingly 
as  you  do  your  hand  in  lifting  a  glass  of  water  to  your 
lips. 

And  the  results  obtainable  are  equally  certain. 

The  cliances  are  that  if  you  go  over  the  above  groups 
and  analyze  them  carefully  you'll  say:  "But  he  has 
omitted  the  most  important  of  all — the  gaining  of  con- 
fidence. ' ' 

It  has  been  left  out  purposely. 

The  gaining  of  confidence  is  automatic;  it  is  born  of 
ability  and  reliability. 

You  can't  gain  a  man's  confidence  by  saying,  ''I  am 
worthy  of  it." 

Confidence  comes  of  itself. 

I  can't  give  you  rules  for  gaining  the  confidence  of  the 
people  you  meet. 

But  I  can  give  you  the  formula  for  the  things  which  will 
make  you  worthy  of  it. 


34  Salesmanship 

And  the  miinito  you'ri'  worthy,  you  get  it — without  ask- 
ing:. 


The  following  pacpos  in  this  milestone  could  easily  be 
extended  into  a  library  of  one  hundred  volumes  and  still 
be  incomplete. 

And  tiie  hundred-volume  library  wouldn't  be  worth  a 
dime  to  the  fellow  who  won't  try — wdio  scoffs  and  passes 
by.  But  these  few  pages  may  be  worth  a  fortune  to  some 
man  or  men  wdio  realize  that  the  best  that  books  can  offer 
is  a  basis  for  humans  to  build  upon. 

My  sole  effort  has  been  to  present,  in  the  simplest,  most 
understandable  manner  possible,  the  governing  funda- 
mentals back  of  it  all. 

The  rest — the  use — is  in  your  hands. 


GROUP  ONE 

Physical  Impression 

That  which  people  gain  through  Made  by 

their  eyes 


(a)  APPEARANCE 

(b)  HEALTH 


(a)    APPEARANCE 

Darlington  is  worth  two  million  dollars  if  he  is  worth  one 
cent. 

Seldom,  if  ever,  have  I  seen  him  without  a  day's  stubble 
on  his  chin  and  a  lot  of  creases  in  his  clothes  that  were 


The  Equipment  35 

never  put  there  by  a  tailor.  Far  from  ornamental  grease 
spots  are  his  nearest  approach  to  adornment  and  socks 
over  shoe-tops  are  the  last  touch  of  evidence  to  his  lack 
of  personal  care. 

Whenever  IVe  tried  to  say  a  few  words  about  appear- 
ance to  mutual  friends,  right  away  the  horrible  example 
— Darlington — is  advanced  as  a  tangible  two-million-dol- 
lar proof  that  appearances  never  have  and  never  will 
count. 

Darlington  is  the  one  man  in  a  million  that  has  succeeded 
in  spite  of  appearances.  And  his  looks  are  a  handicap 
that  it  has  taken  extra  pressure — lots  of  it — to  overcome. 

The  other  morning  he  'phoned  me  to  come  over.  He 
wanted  my  opinion  on  an  applicant  for  the  position  as 
his  New  York  Manager. 

The  conference  lasted  tw^o  hours. 

As  the  door  closed  behind  the  man,  Darlington,  rubbing 
his  grizzled  chin,  turned  to  me  and  said,  "Nice,  clean-cut 
looking  fellow,  isn't  he?  Puts  up  a  first-class  appear- 
ance. *  * 

Darlington,  the  man  whose  own  appearance  discounted 
his  ability  and  position  99  per  cent,  impressed  by  the 
good  appearance  of  another  man ! 

After  that,  never  again  can  anybody — anywhere — say  to 
me  that  appearances  don't  count. 

They  do — they  count  big. 


36  Sales  m-an  ship 

Before  yon  open  your  mouth  you  produce  some  sort  of 
impression — be  it  good  or  bad — on  the  man  you  meet. 

If  it's  good,  fine.  If  it's  bad,  you've  a  self-imposed 
haiidi«ip  to  overcome. 

For  the  greater  part  of  the  human  race  pre-judge  by  ap- 
pearance whether  they  admit  it  or  not. 

Now  there  isn  't  the  sUghtest  necessity  for  my  telling  you 
how  to  dress,  or  ivhat  to  wear,  or  what  to  do,  or  what 
7iot  to  do,  to  make  yourself  look  well. 

You're  a  business  man  and  a  gentleman. 

If  you  dress  to  look  like  ivhat  you  are,  that's  all  that's 
necessary. 

But  remember,  no  matter  how  independent  your  attitude 
— irrespective  of  how  little  stress  you  yourself  place  on 
looks,  you  don't  and  can't  dress  to  suit  yourself. 

Your  appearance  is  the  first  factor  of  impression  upon 
the  people  you  meet. 

Make  it  good.    To  be  successful,  first  look  successful. 


(b)    HEALTH 


Down  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  are  the  headquarters  of  the  great- 
est sales  machine  in  tlio  world. 


The  Eqidpmenf  37 

Mr.  John  H.  Patterson,  head  of  the  National  Cash  Reg- 
ister Company,  and  his  associates  have  spent  millions 
of  dollars  upon  the  mental  and  physical  equipment  of 
their  employes. 

They  have  made  right  living  pay  health  dividends  to  the 
people  and  cash  dividends  to  the  company. 

Years  ago  they  realized  the  importance  of  a  sound  body 
and  its  relation  to  a  sound  mind. 

In  the  factory,  such  essentials  as  rest-rooms,  gymna- 
siums, exercise  hours,  sunlight,  fresh  air,  good  water, 
and  wholesome  food  all  play  their  part  in  promoting  the 
efficiency  of  the  employes. 

But  how  about  the  salesmen — the  fellows  on  the  road  I 

Not  being  able  to  send  these  men  a  traveling  gymnasium 
or  to  furnish  their  meals,  the  National  Cash  Register 
Company  has  done  the  next  best  thing — suppHed  simple 
directions  which  can  easily  be  followed  by  any  man  any- 
where— formulas  for  gaining  and  retaining  health. 

The  directions  take  the  form  of  three  simple  charts. 

When  all  is  said  and  done,  they  constitute  the  best  recipe 
I  have  ever  seen  for  getting  out  of  life  all  it  has  to  offer 
in  a  physical  way. 

You  can  get  more  practical  information  out  of  thege 
charts  in  fifteen  minutes  than  you  could  in  fifteen  months 
spent  with  books  and  hygiene  experts. 


38 


Salesmanship 


Requisites 
For  Life  and  Health 


^-"^'^^^""'""^^ 

^^^-^'z"-^^..,^^ 

^^--'''^^^^^ 

^^.^''^'^^^^^^ 

^^'-''0^^^^^ 

Air 

Food 

Wafer 

UiU             1 

Rcat  and  EserdM 

Cl«*n  air.  nlihl  und 

Your  aorvant  net  jTMir 
mattar. 

deny. 

^ 

RIST 

Ak.  MK*   bnathML  kt 

Fuol  far  your  angtno. 

Warm  hatha  for  cfoan- 
Inoaa 

Btmgs  sunahkio  wttMn 
U»  body. 

Mental  and  phyiicai. 

Crowded  reomt  and 
lk*al*r«     >pr*ad 
cohU. 

Buy  H  w1••^. 

Cold    ahowera    for 
•*  bracera." 

Dtttroys  Rarma. 

The  reward  of  work 
well  dene. 

CoM*  ar*  catching. 

Cook  It  waH. 

Two   million   await 
glan<!>. 

DhpcU  the  "bluoa." 

Ralai   the  mind  and 
body  dally. 

D«a»  braathlng  pro- 
hnc*  Ma. 

Cniari  II  fVw. 

1 '-,  pints  aJfanlnated  by 
tha  skin  dolly. 

Faded   earpota   bet\*r 
than  fadad  cheeks. 

jyti  reatlag  body  re- 
pair, qoMdir. 

SUcp    outdocrt    If 
p<»ftJtHc. 

Enough  bat  net  loo 
mucli. 

Clean   skin  lasaana 
work  of   liver  and 
Udnayv 

Nature's  grratrst  IH«- 
saver. 

Pioiong*  nfo. 

Omc-third  of  Wa  spent 
In   bad  — hava   win- 
dows large. 

Hunger  — ttia    beat 
aplce. 

Cool  hatha  taicraaaa  ro- 
slstanca  la  dhaaaa. 

Children  and  plant  i 
die  without  n. 

EXERCISI 

j   Badroon    windona 
wide    opon    winter 

Tho    almplar    tli* 
batter. 

awtu. 

Ught  and  dtaaa-M  ..« 
always  a.ianiif  1. 

Far   health,   not   lor 
fttrencttb 

Nxti-Te't  boat  link. 

Every  food  atfoeU  tho 
-hole  body. 

-The    fount. In    cf 
onarsy." 

Sends  clean   blood  t« 
brain. 

Tha  only  blood  purl- 
fler. 

rhor.  la  no  "brain 
food.- 

Bowara  »t  tadt- 

Qbnbutes  potaone. 

Nacass'try  tor  good 
brain  tork. 

AvoW  mceas. 

Fio.  1. — Keep  Well 


The  Equipment 


39 


Protoias 

FaU 

CarbohTtl  rates 

Mineral  Salia 

WaUr 

Matta   and   rapalr   tin 
body. 

Produce  hMt 

Produce   boat   and 
anargy. 

BulM  and  rapaJr  bono*, 
narvas,  and  muscl«a. 

Akls  dliastkm. 

Baana 
Maat 
Cheaaa 
Paa* 

Oatnaal 

En> 

Nut* 

etc. 

OUva  oil 
Buttar 
Nuts 
Fat  maat 
Craam 
Chaasa 
Etc 

Caraab 
VagaUblas 
Braad 
Macaroni 
Fruits 
Etc 

Graana 
Ultuca 
Caroala 
VagataMas 
Fruits 
Etc 

Dlasohraa  wasta  prod- 
ucU  of  load. 

Vary  Important  food 
altmanC 

Exeass  dalays  stomach 
dliastlon. 

Most   abundant   food 
alamanL 

Ona   twanly-llfth   of 
body  weight. 

from  body. 

Nacaaaary   In    amall 

LIttIa    raqulrad   In 
summar. 

AH  starchy  foods  and 
sugar*. 

Small  but  Important 
part  of  food. 

At  least  6  or  8  glasaas 

daHy. 

No  atoraga  placa  In 
iMMly. 

Rasarva   atorehousa 
provldad  In  body. 

Starchy  foods  roqulra 
thorough  cooking. 

Spinach  and  tomatoos 
rich  In  hoB. 

Cool  but  not  cold. 

Excast  dlfottad  but 
thrown  out  unuaad. 

High  food  valu*. 

Fruit  sugars  requira 
nttia  or  no  dlgetnon. 

Lost  In  boWng. 

Mora  In  summar. 

Waata  product*  ara 

UxaUvs. 

May  b*  aaten  mora 
froaly. 

Savwi  In  baking. 

Appearance   often 
decaptiv*. 

bcaaa  tin  most  com- 
mon diatary  arror. 

Friad  foods  difficult 
to  digast 

Incraesa   tha   fat   of 
tha  body. 

"Old  oaken  bucket- 
often  a  danger. 

Moat  axprnslva  foods. 

Ollva  oil,  too  par  cent 
food. 

Canarally  laxativa. 

When  In  doubt  bol  H. 

AvoM  axcoaa. 

Excass  storod  hi  Ihiar 
and  musclas. 

Mocofste  MNwrt  wnh 
meat*. 

Fig.  2.— What  to  Eat 


44> 


Sales  m<jnship 


1.  Chrw  food  Iboroufhly.  WgMtlon  bc«tiu  In  ihe 
rooutb.  Will  mak*  tb«  (ppctllc  ■  rtlikbl*  guide. 
I  aJrr  coDtrol  of  «IU. 

J.     Slmpl*  oaiurat  (oo>U,  ilmprir  firtfami. 

i.  AToldanc*  o(  atlmuUnM  to  digntloo.  Eat  ool; 
when  hungry. 

4.  Very  Important— A»old  cic«n  o(  (oodj  In  th«  meal, 
out.  egg.  bcmn,  etc.  clau.  No  itorage  place  in  the 
body.  They  arc  consilpailng  and  capable  ol  pro- 
ducing rank  polwu  In  the  human  body 

5.  Quantity  of  food  limited— For  a  aedaotary  worker, 
not  to  exceed:  5  1-4  oj.  ol  the  meat  type;  I  J-4  ot- 
lat;  and  25  oi.  itarcby  food.  (The  abore  aa  pur- 
chaaed;  not  i%-ater-fre«.)  For  an  outdoor  wocker 
(phyiical  labor)  about  one-hall  more. 


Will 


Increaie  the  defeoaa  of  the  body  agaltut  diaeiue. 

RcUerc  and  cure  roniilpatloo,  eapedally  when  coupled 
with  adequate  exercise. 

Haip  eliminate  worry. 

lacrcaae  actlrltr  of  mind**  and  brain  cell*,  Itaacn 
fatigue  and  conaequetitly  Increaac  eflldency. 

Altay  the  paaalona  and  refine  the  mind. 

Bare  tamatj  ipent  onwiacly  and  uoneceaaarlly 

Glre  a  long  and  happy  life. 

Reduce  waate  and  uonrcraairy  work  In  preparing  fooda. 


I.  Rolling  teod  cauaes  orireatlng,  li^aa  of  natural  food 
■Uion,  and  much  of  Che  ml  pleaauxa  oi  eatlnA. 

i.  Rich,  highly  flaTored  and  araaooed  fooda,  (aahlon- 
able    baa^urra,   eitremea    la    temperature,    great 

rarlety 

S.  Tea.  coBee,  chocolate,  alcoholic  drtnJu,  etc.— race 
potoona  of  no  food  raiue  and  entirely  unoeceaeHry. 

4.  The  great  dietary  excvaa— eating  too  much  meat. 

egga,  cbecac,  beans,  and  fooda  of  like  type. 

5.  Quantity  of  food  unlimited.  4« %  of  people  cat  too 
much.  The  flickering  Rame  of  tile  la  much  more 
liable  to  be  choked  by  an  orerplua  than  Co  fall  froa 
too  Uttle  fooda. 


Will 


Increaae  Che  poaalblUty  of  alckaeaa. 

FlU  the  body   with   poiiooa;  overwork   Che  U'er  and 
kidoeya. 

Tenae  tbc  oerrca  and  Increase  worry. 

Qog  humaa  body  and  reduce  eltaUCy, 

Stir  up  the  erll  In  man. 

Waste  money. 

Shorten  life — make  for  peaslmlam. 

Waste  lime — which    can   well   be    drroied   to  imencal 
Improvement. 


W  NMon'a  l»w»  baatowa  upon  ua-«  firm,  elastic  sttp;   a  lair  oounlaoanca;  uoialatad  breath— all  so  manr 
cartlOcataa  of  good  habtCa 


Fjo.  3. — How  to  Eat 


The  Equipment  41 

Further  commont  on  these  charts  is  superfluous.  They 
speak  for  themselves. 

Right  hero  the  temptation  is  strong  to  insert  a  few  time- 
worn  paragraphs  on  the  importance  of  health. 

But  I'm  not  going  to  do  it. 

Instead,  I'm  just  going  to  urge  you  to  got  out  of  that  rut 
and  start  taking  out  the  best  kind  of  health-insurance — 
the  day-by-day  right-living  way. 

And — once  formed — the  right  habits  of  living  are  as  hard 
to  break  as  the  wrong  ones. 


GROUP  TWO 

Mental  Impression 

That    wliieh    your    strong    per-  youb 

sonality    makes    on     the    other    Made  by  mind 

man 's   mind    without   any    con-  qualities 

acious  effort  on  your  part 


(a)  FEARLESSNESS 

(b)  SELF-CONFIDENCE 
(C)     AMBITION 

(d)  WILL-POWEE 

(e)  CONCENTRATION 

(f)  SINCERITY 


(a)    FEARLESSNESS 

Perkins  was  a  capable  salesman,  but  when  he  had  sud- 
denly left  the  employ  of  the  Gridley  Iron  Works  two 
years  before,  the  "Old  Man"  had  sworn  he  would  never 
draw  another  dollar  from  the  concern,  even  if  he  walked 
in  on  his  knees,  begging  for  his  job. 

The  '  *  Old  Man ' '  had  a  long  memory  and  a  reputation  for 
meaning  what  he  said. 


42  Salesmanship 

Tlie  scene  shifts, 

Perkins  wants  to  come  back  with  the  Gridley  Company. 

Hames,  the  Sales  Manager,  wants  him  back. 

The  easy  way — the  way  of  least  resistance — is  for  Sales 
Manager  Hamcs  to  refer  Perkins  direct  to  the  "Old 
Man" — shift  tlie  responsibility — take  no  chances  of  incur- 
ring the  anger  of  his  employer. 

But  that  is  not  the  way  to  get  Perkins  back  on  the  job 
where  Ilames  wants  and  needs  him.  The  boss  has  a  habit 
of  occasionally  letting  personal  prejudice  get  the  better  of 
his  business  judgment. 

Hames  possesses  that  invaluable  quality — business  fear- 
lessness ;  so — at  the  risk  of  incurring  disfavor  and  rebuke 
— in  he  goes  to  beard  the  lion  in  his  den. 

"]\Ir.  Gridley,"  he  says,  "we  are  falling  down — 
falling  dowii  bad — in  New  York  State.  We've 
been  on  the  toboggan  there  for  two  years — ever 
since  Perkins  left  our  employ.  We  know  what  he 
has  done  for  us ;  we  know  what  his  successors  have 
failed  to  do.  I  have  a  chance  to  get  him  back 
and  I  want  your  consent  to  employ  him  again." 

Gridley  looks  out  at  Hames  from  under  his  shaggy  eye- 
brows; his  steady  stare  turns  almost  to  a  fiery  glare. 
When  he  finally  speaks,  he  almost  roars,  "Hames,  you 
know  that  I  personally  dislike  Perkins.  How  dare  you 
even  suggest  re-employing  him?" 


The  Equipment  43 

Hames  showed  liis  fearh^ssness  ir»  the  first  place  by  tak- 
ing the  matter  up  with  GridJey,  He  now  proves  its  fine 
quality  by  refusing  to  be  intimidated. 

"Certainly,  I  know  that  you  dislike  Perkins.  I  am 
not  keen  for  him  myself.  But  this  is  a  matter  of 
dollars  and  cents.  Likes  and  dislikes  don't  count. 
I  am  here  to  produce  results  and  the  fibres  on  my 
sales  sheets  speak  louder  than  sentiment ;  they  say 
we  will  be  making  a  sound  business  move  by  putting 
Perkins  back  in  that  territory." 

"All  right,"  grunts  the  *^01d  Man"  and  turns  away. 

And  the  chances  are  that  as  Sales  Manager  Hames  leaves 
the  room,  Gridley's  grunt  turns  to  a  chuckle  and  a  warm 
feeling  steals  around  his  heart  for  the  man  who  is  really 
working  for  the  good  of  the  business  instead  of  toadying 
to  his  superiors  for  his  own  betterment. 

That  is  but  one  in  a  thousand  emergencies  of  business  life 
where  the  quality  of  fearlessness  is  essential  to  make  a 
man  go  through  on  the  straight,  white  road  regardless  of 
the  petty  obstacles  which  fate  may  place  in  front  of  him. 

Now  the  majority  of  us  unquestionably,  in  a  greater  or 
less  degree,  possess  physical  courage. 

Business  fearlessness  is  simply  mental  courage. 

And  most  of  us  lack  it. 

There 's  a  reason — a  good  one. 

Chances  are,  it  dates  back  to  boyhood  days  when  our 
bodies  and  minds  were  in  the  forming. 


44  Salesmauiiliip 

Your  ph\-?ical  cournpfo  lias  boon  more  or  loss  fostered  and 
built  up  from  the  time  the  town  "bully"  told  you  in  sign 
lani^-unire  that  he  was  going  to  "get  you  after  school"  up 
to  the  (lay  you  played  center  on  tlu'  football  team  and 
regarded  a  broken  rib  as  an  honor  instead  of  a  disaster. 

On  the  other  hand,  your  studies — none  of  them — tended 
to  develop  mental  courage ;  that  was  neglected. 

But  the  minute  you  left  school  and  entered  business  the 
value  of  your  physical  courage  went  down — away  down — 
and  mental  courage  went  to  a  premium. 

And  yet  mental  courage  or  fearlessness  is  easy  to  acquire. 
Five  words  give  the  rule : 

To  Be  Fearless,  Banish  Fear. 

Fear  ruins  good  work  and  well-thought-out  plans.  It  is  the 
father  and  mother  of  worry;  it  has  wrecked  more  lives 
than  the  European  War  has  taken. 

And  the  worst  of  the  whole  thing  is  that  most  of  our  fear 
and  ivorry  is  concentrated  on  tilings  that  never  come  to 
pass. 

Nature  gave  you  a  reserve  supply  of  force  and  energy  to 
help  you  win  your  battles. 

Don't  waste  it  worrying — fighting  tomorrow's  troubles. 

Deal  only  with  things  of  today. 

Don't  dodge  issues  or  avoid  crises. 


The  Equipment  45 

Take  care  of  the  future  by  meetinjf  the  needs  of  tlu; 
present. 

Dismiss  fear  from  your  mind  by  not  fearing. 

Fear  is  a  mental  attitude. 

So  is  fearlessness. 

You  can  acquire  the  second  just  as  surely  as  the  first  will 
force  itself  upon  you  if  you  don't  resist  it. 


(b)    SELF-CONTIDENCE 

'*lcanandlwilh" 

That  thought  is  the  basis  of  self-confidence. 

Supplemented  by  common  sense  and  ability,  it  carries  a 
man  safely  past  the  barriers  that  forever  bar  the  weaker 
brethren. 

It  turns  seeming  quicksands  to  bed-rock  roads  and  brings 
the  goal  nearer  day  by  day,  because  self-confidence  never 
misses  opportunity. 

Latent  within  all  men  lies  a  power  which,  when  called 
upon,  responds  to  the  needs  of  the  hour  and  masters  any 
man  or  undertaking. 

Yet  some  men  go  through  life  and  never  know  they  pos- 
sess this  power,  simply  because  they  lack  the  self-confi- 


46  SalesmcbHship 

deuce  wliirli  would  plui-e  tlieni  when'  tliey  had  to  call 
upon  it.  ^ 

The  hoy  leai'us  to  dive  lirst  i'roui  the  shore  at  tlie  old 
swinuuiug  hole. 

Tlieu — step  hy  step — gaiuing  eonfideuoe  each  time,  he 
raises  the  height  of  his  dive  until  liually  he's  cutting 
aerial  curves  from  the  topmost  branches  of  the  old  elm 
tree  and  wishing  there  were  something  higher  near  the 
water. 

But — if  lie  had  never  taken  the  first  dive  off  the  shore, 
he'd  still  be  shuddering  at  the  risk  the  fellows  take  who 
plunge  from  the  top  of  the  elm  tree. 

Self-confidence  comes  the  same  way — step  by  step. 

It  comes  from  meeting  each  and  every  emergency  and 
opportunity  witJi  *'I  can  and  I  will." 

Self-confidence  is  born  of  belief  in  oneself — not  the  kind 
that  goes  around  advertising  through  a  megaphone ;  that's 
egotism. 

There's  a  distinct  difference. 

Egotism  is  blind  conceit. 

►Self-confidence  is  a  reasoning,  reasonable  belief  in  one- 
self and  one's  ability. 

Tiike  money  in  tlir  bank,  it  isn't  in  sight  but  it  is  there 
when  you  need  it. 


The  Equipment  47 

Never  forget  this  for  one  iiioincnf.  J^Y'w  liumau  beings 
expect  enough,  claim  enough,  or  demand  enough  of  either 
themselves  or  those  around  them. 

And  the  longer  a  man  handicaps  himself  with  this  weak- 
ness, tlie  harder  it  is  for  liim  to  claim  the  superiority 
which  is  his  just  birthright. 

Carry  yourself  with  a  confident  air;  walk,  talk,  and  act  as 
though  you  believe  in  yourself.  Unless  you  do  this — un- 
less your  actions  are  backed  by  your  own  belief,  how  can 
you  expect  others  to  believe  in  you? 

Be  a  witness  for  yourself  instead  of  against. 

No  stream  can  rise  higher  than  its  source.  No  matter 
how  great  your  ability — how  complete  your  education — 
yes,  even  how  powerful  your  genius,  your  achievement 
can  never  rise  higher  than  your  confidence. 

Have  great  expectations.  Back  them  up  with  vigorous, 
never-wavering  self -faith. 

For— 

Every  calendar  year  holds  at  least  three  hundred  and 
sixty-five  opportunities  in  store  for  the  self-confident  man 
— the  fellow  who  says,  "I  can  and  I  will,"  and  then 
does  it. 


(c)    AMBITION 


Phil  leans  back  on  his  stool,  languidly  thrusts  his  pen  be- 
hind his  ear,  dreamily  looks  out  of  the  window,  and  mur- 
murs to  himself,  *'Wish  I  had  a  million  dollars." 


48  Salesmanship 

On  tlio  strength  of  tliat  particular  kind  of  wisliing  Pliil 
considers  liimself  an  ambitious  young  man.  What  do  you 
think? 

( )n  the  next  stool  Joe's  fountain  pen  steadily  pushes  over 
the  ledger  sheets,  entering  the  day's  checks.  In  the  back 
of  his  head  there's  a  little  spur  to  endeavor  that  keeps 
saying,  "Find  a  shorter,  quicker  way  to  do  your  work 
and  you'll  win  advancement." 

That  night  the  day's  balance  on  New  York  cliecks  comes 
through.  The  total  of  Joe's  entries  for  that  day  tallies; 
his  sheet  is  marked  0.  K.  and  it  goes  to  the  basket  to  be 
filed  away. 

He  is  working  eight  hours  a  day  striking  a  balance  with 
which  to  check  another  fellow's  work.  And  six  other 
clerks  in  liis  department  are  doing  the  same  thing. 

A  bright  thought  is  born  in  Joe's  busy  brain.  He  starts 
studying,  weighing,  watching,  and  comparing. 

One  week  later  in  he  goes — right  on  the  carpet  in  front 
of  the  auditor  of  the  bank. 

"What  does  this  boy  want!"  thinks  the  auditor.  "A 
raise  in  salary!" 

Not  directly.  Joe  wants  an  opportunity^,  and  he's  made 
one  for  himself. 

"Mr.  Bell,"  back  of  his  words  are  the  confidence  born  of 
knowledge',  "there  are  seven  clerks  working  on  exchange. 
I'm  one  of  them.    We  enter  checks  all  day.    At  night,  if 


The  Equipment  49 

our  balances  tally,  oiii-  entry  sheets  are  filed  away  ainl 
seldom,  if  ever,  referred  to  again." 

The  auditor  speaks,  "What  of  it?" 

**Just  this:  Two  men  with  adding  machines  can  do  the 
same  work  and  get  the  same  results  as  the  seven  fellows 
now  in  the  department.  The  adding  machine  tapes  can 
be  filed  away  in  the  same  way  as  our  handwritten  record 
sheets.    It  will  save  time  and  money." 

Why  hadn't  they  thought  of  this  before?  Another  of 
those  unexplainable  little  side  ruts  that  sometimes  de- 
velop in  big  institutions.  Adding  machines  in  every  de- 
partment of  the  bank  save  this  one. 

Joe  and  two  other  men  are  put  on  machines  to  test  the 
idea. 

It  proves  practical.  The  old  seven-man  department  is 
abolished;  its  manager  is  reduced  to  the  ranks. 

A  new  three-man  department  springs  into  being;  Joe  is 
the  manager. 

And  then  that  little  spur  in  the  back  of  Joe's  head 
advances  his  goal  just  a  trifle  farther  ahead. 

Phil — ya\vning — says  to  himself,  ''Some  folks  have  all 
the  luck  ill  this  world.    Wish  I  had  a  million  dollars." 

No  matter  what  your  present  condition  may  be,  there's 
something  just  a  little  better  right  within  your  imme- 
diate reach. 


50  Salesmwiship 

Rt'iil  aiiil)ition  ko(>ps  you  striviiii^  I'or  this  "soiiu'tbin^ 
just  a  littli'  l)ott<M'"  and  tho  ininuto  your  bands  close 
upon  it,  the  mark  ircxs  ahead  once  more. 

Marshall  Field  didn't  decide  one  morning  to  be  the  great- 
est retailer  of  bis  time  in  America  and  wake  up  tbe  next 
day  to  find  that  b's  dream  bad  come  true. 

There  are  too  many  men  that  expect  to  scale  tbe  Capitol 
steps  in  one  jump. 

The  fellow  who  is  willing  to  take  one  step  at  a  time  is 
tbe  man  who  eventually  reaches  the  top. 

In  tbe  literal  sense  of  tbe  term,  there's  so  little  luck  in 
this  life  of  ours  that  tbe  fellow  who  waits  for  it  to  come 
his  way  is  veiy,  very  liable  to  be  still  waiting  when 
Father  Time  arrives  with  bis  inevitable  sc}i;be. 

The  best  substitute  for  luck  is  ambition. 

And  ambition  is  simply  a  strong  mental  hunger  for  cer- 
tain things. 

Let  your  hunger  be  for  things  within  your  reach.  Then 
want  them  with  all  that  is  in  you  and  act. 

Step  by  step — with  slow  but  steady  progress — ambition 
leads  men  to  goals  that  are  never  reached  via  tbe  "one- 
jump"  route. 


(d)    WILL-POWER 

Will-power  is  the  guiding  force  of  human  destiny. 


The  Equipment  51 

Power  of  will  lifts  man  past  physical  handicaps ;  a  giant 
will  has  put  a  crippled  body  in  the  executive  seat  of  one 
of  the  greatest  properties  in  America. 

Consider  the  will-power  of  Napoleon — the  one  thing  that 
carried  liim  past  obstacles  that  seemed  insurmountable. 
In  the  face  of  defeat,  disgrace,  exile,  and  imprisonment 
his  giant  will  struck  off  iron  chains  and  brought  him 
back  a  conqueror. 

Look  about  you  in  the  world  of  conmaerce  for  the  men  of 
will  whoVe  found  the  way. 

Will-power  is  a  commercial  asset,  the  value  of  which  is 
far  beyond  human  reckoning. 

Electricity  is  a  recognized  force  of  nature. 

And  wdll-power  is  the  corresponding  force  of  humanity 
— just  as  real  and  as  much  of  an  actual  driving,  living 
force  as  electricity. 

You  see  electricity  driving  street  cars.  You  see  will- 
power driving  men. 

First  of  all  comes  the  desire  to  do  a  definite  thing. 

Then  comes  the  will  that  does  it. 

Don't  confuse  stubbornness  and  inflexibility  with  will- 
power. 

Stubbornness  is  the  "cast  iron"  of  humanity.  It  breaks 
before  it  gives. 


5J  Salesmanship 

On  the  other  hand,  will  power  is  the  "hip^hly  tempered 
sprinu:"  that  yields  to  conditions  but  instantly  returns 
U>  place  wJK'ii  the  pressure  is  released. 

The  stubborn  niaii  is  the  victim  ol"  prejudice  or  ignorance. 

The  man  of  will  is  ready  at  the  proper  time  and  yjlace 
to  recede  from  his  position — but  only  for  the  purpose  of 
getting  a  better  start.    He  never  stands  still. 

Now  mark  this : 

Nothing — absolutely  nothing  in  this  world — is  impos- 
sible to  the  man  who  can  will  strongly  enough. 

If  mere  "wishes  were  horses,  all  would  ride." 

It  isn't  the  absence  of  desire  that  keeps  people  from 
achievement. 

We  all  want  things. 

But  lack  of  the  will-power,  not  merely  to  begin,  but  to 
continue — day  after  day  after  day — yes,  even  year  after 
year,  if  necessary,  is  the  wrecker. 

Put  energy  and  decision  and  unfaltering  belief  back  of 
your  will  and  tliereby  gain  a  power  that  does  not  rec- 
ognize the  possibility  of  failure. 

Will — will  with  all  that  is  in  you. 

Will  persistently,  int^dligently,  and  for  a  definite  goal. 


The  Equipment  53 

Use  that  God-given  force  within  you  which  makes  mind 
greater  than  body. 

You  have  will-power. 

Don't  let  it  lie  latent. 

Use  it. 


(e)    CONCENTRATION 

Look  at  that  baseball  fan.  Three  men  on  bases  and  two 
strikes  against  the  batter! 

You  could  hardly  divert  that  fan's  attention  if  you  fired 
a  gun  by  his  ear. 

Why? 

Because  his  attention  is  concentrated. 

He  is  intensely  interested  in  the  play. 

Any  man — every  man — finds  it  easy  to  concentrate  upon 
the  things  he  is  intensely  interested  in. 

That  proves  beyond  the  question  of  a  doubt  that  we  all 
have  the  ability  to  concentrate. 

But  to  commercialize  that  ability — to  give  it  a  business 
value — M'e  must  train  ourselves  to  concentrate  on  any 
given  thing  at  will. 


54  Salesmanship 

The  fellow  who  can  sit.  down  in  a  noisy  room  and  solve 
an  intricate  niatlionuitical  problem  has  to  concentrate. 

Concentration  focuses  all  your  powers  upon  the  prob- 
h^n  before  you — the  question  at  hand. 

Irrespective  of  surroundings,  it  brings  all  your  faculties 
to  bear  wherever  and  whenever  you  desire. 

Concentration  involves  thinking. 

The  fellow  who  jogs  along  in  a  half-hearted,  mechanical 
sort  of  way,  witliout  using  his  brain,  simply  can't  con- 
centrate. 

A  salesman  working  along  that  line  becomes  an  order- 
taker. 

To  concentrate,  you  must  think — use  that  brain  of  yours. 
And  you'll  be  surprised  at  the  comparatively  small  num- 
ber of  people  in  this  old  world  of  ours  who  really  do 
think. 

Orderly  planning  of  your  work — a  well-rested  brain — 
deep  interest  in  the  thing  you  are  doing — these  are  helps 
to  concentration — all  of  them. 

But  practice  is  llie  one  thing  whicii  will  eventually  enable 
you  to  concentrate  at  will.  Try  memorizing.  Concen- 
tration is  compelled  when  you  commit  anything  to  mem- 
ory.    And  rememlx'r — the  more  you  try  the  easier  it  is. 

Concentration  puts  more  working  hours  in  your  day, 
l)ecause  the  man  who  concentrates  will  do  in  minutes 
what  the  random  thinker  takes  hours  to  accomplish. 


The  Equipment  55 

There's  one  simple  rule  for  coiicentratiori. 

It's  infallible.    Here  it  is: 

To   Concentrate,   Dismiss   Everything   Else   from 
your  Mind  except  the  Subject  at  Uand. 


(f)    SINCERITY 

Like  breeds  like. 

The  fellow  who  goes  through  the  world  with  a  flippant, 
thoughtless  attitude  finds  that  self-same  thing  in  others. 

As  Hugh  Chalmers  says,  ''You  can't  throw  a  tea-POT  at 
a  man  and  have  it  turn  to  a  tea-cup  on  the  way.    You 
can't  talk  insincerely  and  convey  an  impression  of  sin- 
cerity. ' ' 

And  that  is  just  about  the  whole  philosophy  of  sincerity. 
What  is  it  anyway? 

Just  honesty,  and  earnesty,  and  a  deep-rooted,  unshak- 
able belief,  all  rolled  into  one. 

And  when  you've  got  it  in  you,  the  other  fellow  can't 
help  but  feel  it. 

If  you  expect  to  be  believed,  believe  yourself — be  sincere. 

Sincerity  isn't  a  tone  of  voice  or  a  look  in  the  eyes. 


56  Sale^ttubHship 

It  goes  boyond;  from  tip  to  toe  you've  got  to  feel  it 
yourself  iu  order  to  got  it  across  to  the  other  fellow. 

And  sincerity,  lirst  of  all,  lias  ,<,'ot   to  last. 

Shortcuts  from  the  straight  road  in  Itusiness  are  always 
longer  than  the  traveled  path. 

An  mifair  deal — an  insincere  attitude — is  sure  to  be  dis- 
covered in  the  end — and  that's  the  wrong  end. 

Vou  simply  can't  avoid  responsibility  for  your  actions 
and  your  words.  Not  as  a  question  of  ethics  or  morals, 
but  as  a  result  of  the  plain,  ordinary,  everyday  variety 
(^f  horse-sense,  make  your  way  the  sincere  way.  It  will 
■pay. 

Who  was  it  said,  ''To  have  friends,  be  one"? 

I'll  transpose  that,  "To  impress  people  wath  your  sin- 
cerity, be  sincere." 


In  the  preceding  pages  the  six  factors  of  mental  impres- 
sion have  been  briefly  covered : 

fearlessness SELF-CONFIDENCE AMBITION WILL  —  CON- 
CENTRATION— SINCERITY.  When  you  have  these  things  your 
mind  "strikes  fire"  when  it  encounters  another  mind. 

V<m  don't  have  to  tell  a  man  that  your  eyes  are  blue. 

Ho  sfps  that  for  hiinsolf. 


Tib€  Eqiiipnu:ul  57 

When  you  possess  these  things,  yon  don't  have  to  say  to 
a  man,  *'I  am  fearless,  self-confident,  ambitious,  strong- 
willed,  sincero,  and  capable  of  concentration," 

He  feels  it  without  being  told. 

And  when  all  is  said  and  done,  that  is  personality  to  be 
able  without  effort  to  make  tlie  other  fellow  feel  that  you 
are  mentally  strong  and  capable. 

So  closely  is  the  mental  chain  interwoven  that  these  qual- 
ities are  almost  inseparable. 

You  must  have  them  all. 


And  if  you  realize  their  importance  and  practice  you 
will  have  them. 


The  result — personality  plus. 
Is  it  worth  while? 


GROUP  THREE 

Conscious  Impression 

r(a) 

memory 

That  which  you  make  by  delib- 

(b) 

KF^'ECTrVE  SPEECH 

erately    exercising    certain    ac-                      YOUR 

(c) 

SUGGESTION 

quired    powers    to    influence    in    Made  by    USE     - 

(d) 

TACT 

your     favor    the     people    with                     op 

(e) 

INTEREST 

whom  you  come  in  contact 

(f) 

INITIATIVE 

.(g) 

RELIABILITY 

58  Sales  mwi  ship 

(a)    MEMORY 

Is  it  necessary  to  spend  any  time  discussing  the  com- 
mercial value  of  a  good  memory  tor  names  and  faces t 

I  think  not. 

The  very  fact  that  you  can  remember  a  man's  name  and 
face  after  niertinii:  him  once  is  in  itself  an  asset  that  can 
be  capitalized  at  a  high  figure. 

Most  men  have  said  at  one  time  or  another,  "I  wish  I 
had  a  good  memory." 

But  in  spite  of  what  anyone  may  think,  a  good  memory 
is  positively  not  the  result  of  a  special  dispensation  of 
Dame  Nature.  It's  aecjuired  by  the  simple  old  formula 
of  knowing  how  and  practising. 

In  tJiis  particular  case  tlie  *'know  how"  consists  of  two 
simple  rules  wliicli  constitute  a  never-failing  recipe  for 
remembering. 

Names  and  faces  in  conjunction  are  tlie  tilings  you  want 
most  to  be  able  to  remember. 

And  the  same  rules  that  give  you  this  ability  will  increase 
your  memory  powers  all  along  the  line. 

You'll  find  lots  of 'men  who'll  say,  "1  remember  your  face 
but  not  your  name." 

AVliyl 


The  Equipment  59 

Simply  because  when  you  were  introduced  the  oth(!r  fel- 
low looked  at  your  face  but  didn't  listen  for  your  name, 

Tn  the  confusion  of  an  introduction — the  [)hysical  action 
of  hand-shaking,  etc. — the  name  is  lost,  nine  times  out 
of  ten. 

In  that  almost  childisli  explanation  you  will  find  the  real 
reason  why  nine  men  out  of  ten  fail  to  remember  names. 

But  here  follow  two  simple,  easily  understandable  rules 
which  constitute  a  real  cure  for  bad  memories. 

Rule  1 — Repetition 

If  you  want  to  commit  a  line  or  two  of  verse  to  memory 
what  do  you  do? 

The  natural  thing,  of  course — repeat  it  until  you  know 
it  by  heart. 

To  remember  a  man's  name  or  data  or  information,  do 
the  same  thing — repeat  it. 

Nothing  mysterious  about  that,  is  there? 

In  talking  to  a  man  you  have  just  met,  use  his  name  sev- 
eral times  in  your  conversation;  repeat  it  verbally  as 
well  as  mentally. 

At  the  end  of  each  day — for  practice — re\^ew  its  events. 

And  the  more  you  practice  repetition  the  fewer  times 
yon  will  have  to  repeat  to  Qx  a  thing  firmly  in  your 
memory. 


60  Sales  mun  ship 

Yon  remember  the  faces  of  those  you  meet  often.  That 
is  from  repetition. 

To  remember  the  face  of  a  man  you  meet  once,  get  the 

effect  of  rcpctitKni  by  looking  full  in  his  face  all  the  time 
yon  are  together. 

Remember  faces,  not  by  some  individual  feature  or 
peculiarity,  but  as  a  whole — an  entirety. 

Summed  uj3 — to  remember  a  thing — repeat  it. 

Rule  2 — Intensity  of  hnpression 

Translated  into  plain  everyday  English,  "intensity  of 
impression"  simply  means  that  you  must  pay  attention. 

The  man  who  fails  to  get  your  name  on  the  introduction 
is  usually  paying  more  attention  to  tiying  to  scjueeze 
your  hand  off  or  look  you  right  in  the  eye  than  to  listen- 
ing for  your  name. 

Pay  attention;  try  to  get  a  clear-cut  mental  picture  of 
the  faces  and  names  of  the  people  you  meet. 

Use  both  your  eyes  and  your  ears. 

Consciously  take  notice  of  everything  you  see  and  every- 
thing you  heai*. 

Then  l)ring  repetition  into  play. 

You  will  remember  nil  that  you  wish  to  remember. 


77te  Equipmiifil  (il 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  are  four  rules  for  remem- 
bering. 

The  two  I  haven't  touched  on  are  the  "association  of 
ideas"  and  ** ingenuity"  methods.  These  are  the  bases 
on  which  most  of  the  memory  schools  have  based  their 
courses.  They  are  laborious  and  burdensome — the 
longest  way  around.  That  is  why  I  haven't  touched  on 
them  here. 

The  two  simple,  easy-to-apply  rules  of  repetition  and  in- 
tensity of  impression  will,  with  practice,  give  a  man  what 
he  wants — a  clean-cut,  quick-acting,  sure  memory  for 
names  and  faces  and  information  he  wants  to  retain. 


(b)  EFFECTIVE  SPEECH 

Patrick  Henry's  "Give  me  liberty  or  give  me  death" 
speech  indelibly  registered  itself  on  the  hearts  of  a 
people  and  the  annals  of  the  world. 

Yet — identically  the  same  words  from  the  mouth  of  the 
graduating  schoolboy  fail  to  produce  anytliing  but  yawns 
and  a  desire  to  get  it  over  with  on  the  part  of  his 
audience. 

"Rather  a  far-fetched  comparison,"  say  you.  Granted 
— but  it  drives  home  one  great,  big  point,  namely,  that 
the  paramount  difference  between  effective  and  ineffec- 
tive speech  lies  in  delivery. 


62  Salesmanship 

Now  a  knowlodge  of  oratory,  in  tlio  acooptcd  sonse  of  tlic 
word,  would  never  pay  you  a  dividend  of  one  cent  on 
the  dollar. 

But — a  knowlodp^o  of  tJie  principles  that  will  make  ordi- 
nary, everyday  sj)eech  effective  will  stand  you  in  stead 
every  working  day  of  your  life. 

You  certainly  want  to  speak  effectively,  forcefully,  and 
in  a  manner  that  insures  interest  and  conviction  ou  the 
part  of  your  listener. 

A  droning,  lifeless  monotone — a  voice  ^^'ithout  inflection 
or  expression — makes  one  of  the  most  brilliant  newspaper 
men  in  America  extremely  difficult  to  listen  to.  Fifteen 
minutes  of  his  talk  is  enough  to  make  you  want  to  jump 
out  of  the  window — go  anywhere  to  get  away  from  it. 

Yet  the  thoughts  he  gives  expression  to  are  wonderful. 
Put  in  the  moutli  of  a  man  who  possesses  even  a  mediocre 
deliver}',  they'd  chain  your  interest.  Write  them  out  on 
paper  and  you'd  have  a  model  in  diction,  fire,  force, 
logic,  and  thought. 

But  his  miserable  delivery  discounts  the  value  of  his 
spoken  word  at  least  90  per  cent. 

Your  voice  and  your  words  are  tlie  veliicles  that  carry 
the  thoughts  from  your  mind  to  that  of  the  man  you're 
talking  to. 

The  art  of  effective  speaking  enables  you  to  transfer 
promptly  and  without  loss  the  complete  creations  of  your 
brain  to  others.     Through  this  ability  you  make  your 


The  Equipment  G3 

ideas  thoir  ideas — induce  people  to  accept  your  judg- 
ments— bend  them  to  your  will. 

All  men  have  ideas. 

And  yet  comparatively  few  are  effective  speakers,  in  the 
sense  of  being  able  to  put  their  ideas  clearly,  forcefully, 
and  effectively  into  words. 

The  same  basic  principles  lie  behind  a  Krupp  cannon  and 
a  Winchester  rifle. 

But  the  fellow  who  took  a  Krupp  out  on  a  deer  hunt 
would  be  a  fit  subject  for  the  alienists. 

The  same  fundamentals  lie  behind  oratory  and  effective 
speech. 

But  the  fellow  who  tries  to  put  the  "Krupp"  of  oratory 
behind  his  every  word  only  makes  liimself  ridiculous. 

But — in  a  modified  form,  the  two  governing  principles 
of  oratory,  understood  and  practised,  will  make  you  an 
interesting,  effective  everyday  speaker. 

Now  the  foundation  of  effective  speech  is  in  the  principle 
commonly  termed: 

Retention  of  Well-Organized  Ideas  during  Delivery. 

But  to  make  your  words  interesting — to  make  them  carry 
conviction,  you  must  bring  into  play  another  principle, 
namely : 

The   Technical   Control  of  Voice  dunng  Speech. 


64  Saieiimunshii) 

Going  back  to  the  first  principle,  the  best  definition  of 
"Retention  of  Well-()i\sj:anize(l  Ickuis  (hiring  Deliver}'" 
that  1  can  give  is,  *' Knowing  idiat  you  are  going  to  say 
and  hoiv  you  are  going  to  say  it  before  speaking." 

The  trained  human  brain  works  almost  as  fast  as  the 
wij-eless  flash.  Once  acc-ustomed  to  it,  you'll  find  your- 
self organizing  and  outlining  a  ten-minute  talk  in  as 
many  seconds. 

^Vnd  the  fellow  who  thinks  before  he  speaks,  and  tJien 
follows  his  mental  outline,  is  on  the  highroad  to  making 
his  words  worth  listening  to. 

As  an  example: 

LeRoy,  in  cliarge  of  the  advertising  for  the  Western 
Cereal  Company,  is  in  conference  witli  Deagon,  tlie  man- 
ager, regarding  their  Hominy  Grits,  which  have  failed  to 
sell.    He  says: 

' '  Now,  I  want  to  say  that  Hominy  Grits  haven 't  sold 
very  well  and  I  don't  know  why.  I  think  we  ought 
to  make  a  premium  of  them.  I  can't  understand 
why  tlu-y  don't  sell,  because  they're  certainly  {?ood. 
Tlie  joIjIhts  aren  't  pushing  them.  :Maybo  that 's  thr 
reas(ju.  Why  not  put  them  out  as  a  premium  on  our 
Rolled  Oats?  You  knwv  what  I  mean.  I  think 
that's  a  pretty  good  scheme.    What  do  you  thmk?" 

iVnd  if  you  think  the  example  above  is  exaggerated,  listen 
to  a  few  men  presenting  their  ideas.  Note  the  lack  of 
continuity— the  unnecessary  phrases— the  jumbled-up 
effect  of  tJu'  whole.    TIm-  tr(.nltlo  wiili  f.eHoy  is  that,  like 


The  Equipment  65 

most  men,  he  is  speaking  as  he  thinks — failing  to  organize 
his  thoughts  heforehand. 

If  he  had  spent  thirty  seconds  getting  his  idea  into  shape, 
and  tlien  followed  his  mental  outline  as  he  spoke,  he 
would  have  said  something  like  tliis: 

"The  dealers  do  not  call  for  hominy  grits;  conse- 
quently our  jobbers  are  not  pushing  them.  On 
SILVER  oats  we  were  considermg  offering  the  dealer 
a  cash  quantity  discount  if  he  would  buy  in  ten-case 
lots.  Lot's  forget  that  scheme  and  offer  instead  a 
certain  quantity  of  homiky  grits  with  every  ten- 
case  purchase  of  the  oats.  The  grits  will  serve  as 
an  inducement  to  help  sell  oats.  And  as  a  premium 
it  will  automatically  find  its  way  on  the  dealers' 
shelves  without  resistance.  You  know  that  our  diffi- 
culty has  been  to  get  the  jobber  to  sell  the  dealer. 
Once  in  the  retailers'  stock,  it  will  sell.  What  do 
you  think  of  that  plan  ? ' ' 

Now  which  presentation  carries  the  meaning  best?  Which 
one  really  conveys  LeRoy's  thought  to  his  general 
manager  f 

The  first  specimen  is  the  average  ''off -bat"  effort.  It 
beats  around  the  bush — has  the  beginning  in  the  middle 
and  the  end  tacked  on  in  front. 

The  second  is  the  presentation  of  the  fellow  who  thinks 
before  he  speaks — who  has  the  thought  clear  in  his  own 
mind  before  he  attempts  to  transfer  it  to  another. 

And  the  difference  between  the  two  starts  before  a  word 
is  said. 


66  Salesmanship 

It  pays  to  tliink  Ix'forc  you  spoak. 

Now  the  socond  ijriiiciplc,  "The  Technical  Control  of 
Voice  during  Speech,"  is  the  vse  to  which  you  put  your 
voice — the  enijihasis,  word-shadings,  degree  of  life — the 
things  that  actually  make  your  words  sound  interesting. 

From  the  proper  use  of  this  principle  comes  earnestness, 
sincerity,  the  things  that  make  your  words  real,  living 
things  to  the  fellow  you  talk  to. 

It's  the  "interest- insurance"  part  of  effective  speech. 

It  takes  the  flat  canvas  of  your  bare  words  and  paints 
upon  it  a  picture  that  by  hannony  of  color,  skill  of 
handling,  and  general  effect  makes  the  passer-by  stop  and 
look — or  rather — listen. 

The  average  man  is  not  a  good  talker — an  interesting 
talker — mainly  because  he  has  never  devoted  any  atten- 
tion to  learning  liow  to  talk. 

The  time  you'll  spend  in  learning  how  to  talk  well  is 
one  of  the  best  time-investments  you  can  make. 

THE  WUOLE  ART — AXD  IT  IS  AN  AET — OF  EFFECTIVE  SPEAKING 
IS  A  IVLITTEK  OF  PRACTICE. 

The  following  training  in  effective  speech  will  give  you 
(1)  the  ability  to  organize  your  ideas  (juickly  before 
speaking;  (2)  the  faculty  of  retaining  well-organized 
ideas  during  delivery;  and  {'.])  technical  conlrol  of  your 
voice  during  speech. 


The  Equipment  67 

The  Training  in  Effective  Speech 

As  a  matter  of  health — if  nothing  else — you  should  prac- 
tise deep  breathing.  It  will  at  the  same  time  develop 
your  speaking  voice. 

Breathe  tlirough  the  nose — from  the  abdomen  up. 

That's  the  rule  for  correct  breathing. 

Make  every  particle  of  breath  count  when  talking. 

Every  single  bit  of  breath  you  exhale  has  a  speaking 
value;  utilize  it. 

Speak  clearly. 

Enunciate  distinctly. 

Avoid  monotony  of  tone.    Monotony  destroys  interest. 

Vary  the  speed  of  your  talk ;  give  it  variety  by  speaking 
slowly  at  times — rapidly  at  others. 

Watch  your  listener  to  see  that  he  ''gets"  what  you  are 
saying — that  you  are  not  verbally  traveling  too  fast  for 
him  to  grasp  your  meaning  fully. 

Vary  the  volume  of  your  voice;  speak  low — then  loud. 

Life — action — that's  what  these  things  will  put  in  your 
delivery. 

Practise  sincerity. 


(>8  Salesmanship 

Say  something  yon  really  believe  with  all  the  belief  that 
is  in  you. 

Then  pattern  your  statements  around  that  model. 

Concentrate  on  what  you  say  and  tlio  result  it  produces 
on  your  listener.  When  you  speak  make  evei*y  word 
count. 

The  things  above  are  the  foundation  work.  The  actual 
structure-building  of  effective  speech  will  evolve  itself 
from  the  four  exercises  tliat  follow. 

Exercise  One 

In  the  seclusion  of  your  own  room  take  a  good,  live, 
short  story — something  you  are  interested  in. 

For  a  half  hour  an  evening,  practice  reading  it  aloud 
to  an  imaginary  audience. 

Use  every  inflection  and  every  tone  of  your  voice  to 
advantage.  Try  to  hold  your  audience  by  the  in- 
terest of  your  story  and  your  delivery  of  it. 

Keep  this  up  (changing  the  storj'  from  time  to 
time)  until  you  are  satisfied  that  you  are  capable  of 
reading  aloud  in  such  a  manner  that  you  can  interest 
and  hold  your  audience. 

An  interesting  reader  is  well  on  the  way  to  becoming 
an  interesting  talker. 

You  are  then  ready  to  take  up  the  second  exercise. 


The  Equipment  69 

Exercise  Two 

Read  a  new  story  once. 

Close  the  book. 

Stop  a  moment  and  organize  your  thoughts. 

Then — out  loud — try  to  convey  to  an  imaginary  audi- 
ence the  thread  of  the  story,  holding  the  sequence, 
the  plot,  and  the  incidents  therein. 

Don't  trouble  about  the  words  or  phrasing.  Devote 
your  efforts  to  telUng  the  story  clearly  and  succinctly 
and  understandingly. 

Continue  this  until  you  find  that  you  can  read  a  story 
once  and  recount  it  aloud  without  losing  any  of  the 
important  pai'ts. 

When  you  feel  that  you  are  capable  of  doing  this, 
you  are  ready  for  the  third  exercise. 

Exercise  Three 

Read  an  article  once.    Close  the  book. 

Then — in  conveying  your  story  to  imaginary  lis- 
teners, try  to  make  it  as  interesting  as  possible;  try 
to  hold  your  imaginary  auditors  by  the  force  and 
fire  behind  your  ivords  as  well  as  the  interest  of  the 
story. 

When  you  feel  you  can  do  this,  yon  are  ready  for  the 
fourth  exercise. 


70  Salesmanship 

Exercise  Four 

Road  something  once. 

Then — from  memory — tell  it  to  a  friend  or  acquaint- 
ance in  as  interesting  a  manner  as  possible. 

Try  to  hold  his  interest  by  your  manner — your  de- 
livery— then  by  the  story  itself. 

Watch  the  effect  of  your  words. 

These  four  practices  will  put  you  in  a  position  where 
almost  unconsciously  you  find  yourself  organizing  all 
your  thoughts,  presenting  your  ideas  with  a  beginning,  a 
middle,  and  an  end,  and  talking  in  an  effective,  forceful 
manner. 

Kjqow  how  and  practise.    That's  all. 

You've  the  first.    The  second  is  up  to  you. 

Remember — the  man  whose  words  are  worth  listening  to 
finds  no  difficulty  in  securing  the  right  audience  and 
holding   it. 


(c)    SUGGESTION 


Suppose — just  suppose — that  you  could  say  to  another 
man,  **Give  me  your  order,"  and  have  Imu  hand  it  to 
you — 

Suppose  by  simply  saying,  "Promote  me,"  you  could  win 

promotion — 


The  Equipment  71 

Suppose  by  saying,  "Increase  my  salary,"  you  could  get 
more  money — 

What  would  it  mean  to  you? 

That  sounds  like  the  rankest  kind  of  nonsense,  doesn't 
it? 

And  yet  in  the  last  analysis,  that  is  just  exactly  what 
proper  use  of  the  power  of  suggestion  does.  It  dominates 
— molds  to  your  will — the  people  with  whom  you  come 
in  contact. 

Whether  you're  selUng  merchandise,  selling  your  per- 
sonality, or  directing  the  work  of  others,  the  power  of 
suggestion  in  your  hands  constitutes  domination  in  the 
highest  degree. 

A  lot  of  people  associate  ''domination"  with  the  loud, 
blustering  man  who  tries  to  bluff  and  bulldoze  everyone 
with  whom  he  comes  in  contact. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  some  of  the  men  who  have  made  the 
most  profitable  use  of  the  power  of  suggestion  are  well- 
mannered,  quiet  individuals  who  are  running  things  to 
suit  themselves  without  making  any  particular  noise 
about  it. 

It  is  today  an  accepted  fact  that  the  human  mind  is  dual ; 
in  other  words,  that  every  human  being  possesses  two 
minds — the  conscious  mind  and  the  subconscious  mind. 

Now  for  lack  of  a  better  description,  the  conscious  mind 
may  be  termed  the  "working  mind."  It  transacts  and 
handles  the  ordinary,  everyday,  material  affairs  of  life. 


72  Salesmanship 

The  subcouseious  luind  is  the  one  in  control  when  the 
conscious  mind  is  off  .u:iiar«l  or  dormant,  as  in  sleep,  for 
instance. 

Both  the  conscious  and  subconscious  minds  are  amenable 
to  suggestion. 

As  an  illustration  of  how  your  subconscious  mind  works — 

You  meet  a  man ;  he  is  good-appearing,  pleasant,  a  good 
conversationalist. 

Your  conscious  mind  weighs  his  every  point  carefully  and 
decides  that  you  should  like  him. 

And  yet,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  you  have  a  feeling  of  repug- 
nance toward  the  individual. 

That  is  the  result  of  an  impression  made  on  your  sub- 
conscious mind ;  an  unfavorable  feeling  has  crept  by  the 
guard  of  your  working  mind  and  planted  the  seed  of 
prejudice,  seemingly  without  reason,  in  the  mind  behind. 

Some  people  call  this  type  of  subconscious  impression  a 
"hunch"— others  a  "feeling"— but  irrespective  of  what 
you  call  it,  we  have  all  experienced  it. 

Now  to  go  a  little  further:  Let's  take  as  an  example  of 
the  power  of  suggestion  a  common  exp(>rienc€. 

Vou  get  up  in  tlic  morning  feeling  fine. 

Your  breakfast  tastes  good  and  the  air  has  a  tang  to  it 
that  puts  snap  in  your  step. 


The  Equipment  73 

As  you're  walking  down  the  street,  you  meet  a  friend. 
He  looks  at  you  in  a  peculiar  manner. 
' ' What 's  the  matter ?    Been  sick ?' '  he  asks. 
''No,"  you  answer.     ''Why?" 

"Well,  you  certainly  look  terrible,"  he  rejoins.  "Your 
eyes  are  bloodshot.  There  are  dark  circles  under  them. 
You're  sallow.    I  certainly  thought  you  had  been  ill." 

Right  then  and  there  suggestion  begins  to  get  in  its 
work. 

The  blue  begins  to  fade  out  of  the  sky  and  a  dull  gray 
taJies  its  place. 

You  begin  to  feel  sick — not  because  you  are  ill  but  because 
the  suggestion  has  been  brought  to  bear  (probably  un- 
consciously) by  your  acquaintance. 

This  is  an  example  of  the  negative  use  of  the  power. 

For  the  positive  use  in  the  same  connection,  turn  to  the 
mental  healers  who  purely  through  intelligent  power  of 
suggestion  are  making  the  subconscious  minds  of  their 
patients  right  the  ills  of  their  bodies. 

Now  the  big  point  I  want  to  make  is  that  power  of  sug- 
gestion in  your  hands  acts  as  a  die,  impressing  on  the 
wax  of  the  subconscious  mind  of  your  subject  just  what 
you  want  to  place  there. 


74  Salesmanship 

But  a  too  sudden  and  too  harsh  use  of  tliis  die  brinp:s 
the  cold  water  of  the  working  or  conscious  mind  on  the 
molten  wax  of  the  subconscious  one  and  defeats  your 
purpose. 

To  make  the  right  impression,  the  die  must  implant  it 
by  a  series  of  delicate  touches,  each  one  making  the  in- 
fluence a  trifle  deeper  until  it  finally  becomes  a  force. 

And  realize  that  this  influence  gives  an  almost  absolute 
control  of  the  individual  mind,  attitude,  thought,  and 
action. 

You  must  get  the  right  kind  of  affirmative  suggestion 
past  the  conscious  mind  of  your  listener  without  arousing 
its  antagonism. 

Sometimes  the  wrong  method  of  using  an  affirmative  sug- 
gestion will  defeat  its  purpose.  "This  article  is  what 
you  want"  is  a  sound,  affirmative  suggestion. 

But  ''This  article  is  what  you  want" — in  a  domineering 
or  dictatorial  tone — will  almost  invariably  wake  the  con- 
scious mind  to  a  feeling  of  resentment  which  is  fatal  to 
your  purpose — pours  cold  water  on  the  receptive  wax  of 
the  subconscious  mind. 

For  your  purposes  the  power  of  suggestion  defines  itself 
as  the  art  of  introducing  what  you  want  there  into  the 
mind  of  another  in  an  indirect  and  nonargumentative 
manner. 

Go  back  and  read  that  again. 


The  Equipment  75 

The  first  step  of  suggestion  lies  through  the  secondary 
channels,  wliich  consist  of  your  personality  as  treated 
upon  in  this  section,  your  appearance,  the  effectiveness 
of  your  speech,  and  the  rest  of  the  factors  that  control 
physical,  mental,  and  conscious  impressions. 

It  is  hardly  necessary,  since  this  milestone  deals  with 
these  factors,  to  cover  them  again  in  this  particular 
section. 

However,  realize  that  the  secondary  channels  of  sugges- 
tion are  the  foundation  that  make  possible  your  successful 
building  through  the  primary  channel. 

The  primaiy  channel  of  suggestion  lies  through  direct 
oral  suggestion  to  the  conscious  mind,  which  in  turn  in- 
directly conveys  it  to  the  subconscious  mind,  where  it 
awaits  the  succeeding  affirmative  suggestions  you  use  to 
build  it  to  the  receptive  or  action  point. 

Negative  suggestions  tear  down.  Avoid  them  as  you 
would  a  pestilence. 

In  retail  selling, ' '  You  don't  want  anything  else,  do  you  ? ' ' 
and  '* Nothing  else  today,  was  there?"  are  common  ex- 
amples of  negative  suggestion.  They  make  it  easy  to 
say  *'No";  in  fact  they  put  the  answer  in  the  listener's 
mouth. 

Positive  or  affirmative  suggestions  build  up. 

Those  two  points  should  enable  you  to  determine  intelli- 
gently the  kind  of  oral  suggestions  to  use  for  maximum 
results. 


76  Salesmanship 

Arguinont  is  fatal  to  the  successful  use  of  suggestion. 
It  builds  up  an  antagonism  in  the  working  mind  that 
completely  blocks  all  effort  to  get  past  the  barrier  and 
must  be  overcome  before  the  subconscious  mind  opens 
once  more  to  your  efforts. 

Indifference  acts  as  a  negative  suggestion.  Keep  inter- 
ested and  interesting. 

Hesitation  and  doubt  act  as  negative  suggestions.  Be 
certain;  don't  hesitate. 

Keep  your  proposition  away  from  debatable  situations 
as  you  would  steer  a  launch  clear  of  the  rocks.  Con- 
centrate as  many  of  the  senses  as  possible.  For  example, 
through  the  voice  you  command  your  listener's  sense  of 
hearing.  Through  an  occasional  gesture  or  looking  your 
man  in  the  eye  you  command  his  sense  of  sight. 

Holding  ears  with  your  voice,  holding  eyes  with  your 
gestures  and  eyes,  step  by  step  you  lead  your  listener 
to  your  way  of  thinking. 

This  is  along  the  lines  of  least  resistance. 

Now  your  constantly  repeated  affirmative  statementSj  de- 
livered in  a  voice  and  manner  carefully  calculated  not 
to  arouse  antagonism,  gradually  break  down  the  powers 
of  resistance  of  the  person  you  are  talking  to. 

In  the  course  of  a  selling  talk,  for  instance,  in  prefacing 
his  proposition  where  he  is  desirous  of  gaining  his 
listener's  interest,  the  salesman  who  is  using  suggestion 
\vi\\  say  from  time  to  time,  "Here's  something  that  I 


Tin-  Equipment  77 

kuow  will  interest  you,"  "This  special  feature  is  >sure 
to  appeal  to  you  particularly,"  and  so  on  until  the  man 
he  is  talking  to  actually  does  feel  interested.  The  first 
impression  necessary — that  of  interest — has  been  suc- 
cessfully implanted  upon  the  subconscious  mind.  He  is 
interested. 


Then  watch  the  salesman's  next  move.  He  now  wants  to 
create  desire  for  his  product.  Right  along  in  his  demon- 
stration, unobtrusively  he  plants  such  affirmative  sug- 
gestions as  "A^^en  you  have  this  in  your  store,"  "Your 
profits  \y\\\  be  higher  when  you  are  selling  these,"  "Your 
good  business  judgment  is  the  thing  that's  going  to  make 
you  buy,"  and  so  implants  in  the  mind  of  his  prospect 
the  feeling  of  already  handling  what  he  is  selling.  He  is 
getting  past  the  conscious  mind  and  solving  the  seed  of 
ownership  in  the  subconscious  mind. 

Now  the  salesman  is  ready  to  take  the  order — feels  that 
the  time  is  ripe.  Note  how  he  avoids  a  negative  sug- 
gestion that  might  invite  a  negative  decision.  He  puts 
it  up  in  such  a  w^ay  that  the  prospect  finds  it  hard  to 
say  "No."  He  closes  his  order  by  some  such  strong 
affirmative  suggestion  as  "Shall  I  send  it  by  freight  or 
express  ? ' ' 

The  man,  whether  he  be  salesman,  employer,  or  employe, 
who  understands  the  power  and  application  of  suggestion 
can  positively  and  absolutely  mold  the  other  fellow^ 's 
mind.  When  this  is  accomplished,  the  matter  of  his 
action  is  easily  under  control. 


78  Salesmanship 

Every  single  idea,  whether  in  the  conscious  or  subcon- 
scious mind,  must  express  itself  in  appropriate  action. 
The  only  thing  that  ciui  prevent  is  an  opposing  thought. 

The  human  body  is  so  constituted  and  so  controlled  that 
when  given  a  clear  field,  the  second  an  idea  becomes 
strong  enough,  it  automatically  brings  about  the  action 
suggested  by  the  idea. 

Here  is  the  whole  science  of  suggestion  summed  up. 
From  it,  with  practice,  you  can  develop  the  actual  practice 
.to  meet  your  own  individual  needs. 

Primary  Channel 

Through  direct  affirmative  oral  suggestion  which 
carries  your  desire  past  the  conscious  mind  and 
little  by  little  molds  the  subconscious  mind  of  your 
listener  to  your  way  of  thinking. 

Secondary  Channel 

Through  your  appearance,  your  personality,  the 
effectiveness  of  your  speech,  tact;  in  other  words, 
the  things  you  possess  which  create  favorable  physi- 
cal, mental,  and  conscious  impressions  with  your 
listener.  The  secondary  channel  is  in  reality  the 
foundation  necessary  for  the  successful  use  of  the 
primary  channel. 

Before  leaving  suggestion,  suppose  we  spend  a  few 
moments  on  the  vital  subject  of  auto-suggestion. 

AuTO-suGGESTioN  is  simply  exercising  the  power  of  sug- 
gestion upon  one's  own  subconscious  mind. 

Human  beings  are  so  constituted  that  we  are  even  more 
amenable  to  suggestions  emanating  from  our  own  brain 
than  those  coming  from  the  minds  of  otJiers. 


The  Equipment  79 

All  the  mind  qualities,  sucli  as  confidence  in  oneself  and 
one's  power  of  accomplisliment,  can  be  readily  built  up 
by  utilizing  auto-suggestion. 

It  represents  self-mastery  and  is  really  the  only  sound 
basis  for  building  the  powers  treated  on  elsewhere  in  this 
milestone. 


The  science  of  auto-suggestion  is  this :  Implant  certain 
ideas  so  firmly  in  your  mind  that  it  has  no  room  for 
conflicting  ideas. 

The  basis  of  auto-suggestion  is  a  firm  resolution — made 
like  a  pledge  or  an  oath  and  as  religiously  adhered  to. 

Be  as  solitary  and  as  serious  in  implanting  these  thoughts 
and  ideas  in  your  mind  as  you  are  about  your  prayers. 

Just  before  retiring  is  a  good  time  to  practise.  Repeat 
these  inner  promises  you  are  making  yourself  for  several 
minutes  day  after  day  after  day  and  you  will  find  that 
these  ideas  which  you  are  planting  in  your  mind  reduce 
the  chances  of  opposite  ideas  more  and  more.  Finally 
they  will  inhabit  you — be  part  of  you. 

Here— in  a  study  of  suggestion— you  will  find  the  key- 
stone of  the  arch  of  man-power. 

It's  in  your  hands — right  now. 

What  are  you  going  to  do  with  it? 


80  Salesmanship 

(d)    TACT 

Tlie  man  who  thinks  before  he  speaks  and,  when  he  thinks 
it  best  not  to  speak,  keeps  silent,  is  tactful. 

Argument,  in  the  ordinary  acceptance  of  the  term,  is 
positively  the  most  useless  thing  in  the  world. 

No  man  ever  nmde  you  think  his  way  by  arguing  with 
you. 

Argument  arouses  your  antagonism  and  even  if  the  other 
fellow  is  right  that  barrier  within  you  prevents  you  from 
accepting  his  views. 

The  other  paths  to  conviction  are  sure  and  certain. 

But  argument  is  a  sure  and  certain  road  to  trouble. 

Consider,  please,  what  is  the  commonest  rock  on  which 
people  split! 

Argument. 

^'on  have  one  opinion. 

Jones  has  anothci'. 

You  begin  to  argue. 

And  when  you  get  tli rough,  your  stock  has  dropped  in 
his  estimation  and  his  in  yours.    "VVTiat's  the  use? 

Avoid   ai-gnnu'Tit.     It's  tlic  Irprosy  of  life 


The  Equipment  81 

When  a  man  brings  up  an5i;hing  as  a  basis  for  argument, 
either  keep  silent,  change  the  subject,  or  if  it  is  neces- 
sary to  bring  him  to  your  way  of  thinking,  do  so  by 
agreeing  with  him  first  and  leading  him  to  your  views. 

The  seven  fundamentals  of  tact  are : 

(1)  Speak  well  of  everybody  or  speak  not  at  all. 

(2)  Avoid  ar^ment. 

(3)  Don't  bring  up  debatable  points  or  subjects. 

(4)  Make  non-committal  answers,  keep  silence,  or 
change  the  subject  when  a  question  is  asked  that  is 
liable  to  lead  to  trouble. 

(5)  Consider  the  consequences  of  your  taking  sides  or 
making  statements  before  so  doing.  ^ 

(6)  Consider  the  effect  of  your  words  on  your  auditor 
before  you  utter  them. 

(7)  Consider  the  effect  of  your  words,  provided  your 
listener  tells  others  what  you  have  said. 

Taking  the  above  rules  literally,  they  might  be  construed 
to  mean  that  a  man's  attitude  toward  the  world  in  gen- 
eral must  be  "wishy-washy" — "milk  and  water," 

Not  at  all.  You  can  follow  these  fundamentals  and  still 
entertain  the  most  decided  kind  of  opinions,  mold  others 
to  your  way  of  thinking,  and  accomplish  your  ends. 

Look  at  Lincoln — a  man  universally  beloved,  admired, 
yea,  almost  worshipped. 

Lincoln  had  native  or  instinctive  tact. 

No  one  ever  accused  him  of  a  "milk-and-water"  attitude. 
Yet  he  accomplished  almost  the  impossible. 


82  Salesmanship 

It  all  harks  back  to  the  one  principle  of  thinking  before 
you  speak. 

You  can  be  tactful  by  doing  certain  things. 

You  can  be  tactful  by  not  doing  others. 

"\Miat's  the  use  of  stringing  this  out  into  an  essay  on 
tact  I 

You  know  as  well  as  I  what  it  consists  of. 

The  one  thing  you  do  need  is  to  realize  its  Lmportance. 

Tact  is  the  mortar  that  cements  the  bricks  of  human 
association  firmly  together. 

Without  it  your  structure — business  or  social — crimibles 
at  a  careless  touch. 

With  it  you  build  for  life. 


(e)    INTEREST 

There  are  certain  traits  of  human  nature  found  in  99 
per  cent  of  the  people  on  the  face  of  this  globe. 

The  wise  man  knows  these  traits  and  takes  advantage  of 

them. 

Flattery — broad,  unqualified  flattery — is  despicable. 
No  self-respecting  man  will  use  it. 


The  Equipment  83 

But  for  laclc  of  a  better  term,  I  shall  have  to  class  the 
leverage  treated  herein  as  a  form  of  flattery. 

But  it  is  so  subtle,  so  sure  in  its  results,  that  it  is  really 
a  manipulation  to  your  own  ends  of  a  universal  trait  of 
human  nature  the  world  over. 

Now,  first  of  all,  realize  that  you  are  more  interested  in 
your  own  affairs  than  mine. 

Smith  is  more  interested  in  Smith's  affairs  than  in  those 
of  any  one  else  in  the  whole  world. 

And  so  on — round  the  globe — in  every  nook  and  corner, 
crevice  and  cranny,  be  the  man  of  high  or  low  degree, 
he  himself  and  his  affairs  is  the  uppermost,  the  para- 
mount, the  most  interesting  subject  in  the  world  to  him. 

How  can  you  turn  this  fact  to  your  advantage? 

Simply  by  being  interested  in  other  men  and  their 
affairs. 

Not  curious — but  receptive. 

There  is  a  big  difference ;  mark  it  well. 

To  prove  that  interest  is  a  subtle  and  sure  factor,  take 
Cramer  talking  to  Way. 

For  one  hour  straight,  Cramer  talks  about  his  affairs — 
what  he  has  done — what  he  is  going  to  do,  etc.,  etc.,  etc. 


84  Sales>naiH8hip 

Way  listens,  occasionally  interjects  a  remark  showing 
that  be  is  interested,  but  in  the  main  does  nothing  but 
listen. 

They  separate. 

Cramer  meet^s  another  man.  ''Just  left  John  Way,"  he 
says.  '  *  Do  you  know  that  he  is  one  of  the  brightest,  most 
agreeable  fellows  I  have  ever  met?" 

Do  you  consider  that  exaggerated?  It  isn't.  Too  mild, 
if  anything. 

You  say,  *'But  lots  of  men  are  reserved  about  their 
affairs.  They  won't  discuss  personal  things  with  a 
stranger. ' ' 

That's  true — in  a  measure.  That  type  of  man  is  like  a 
reservoir.  You've  got  to  tap  it,  but  once  started  the 
stream  will  come  just  as  surely  as  from  an  open  pipe. 
A  well-gauged  remark  opens  the  way  every  time. 

Get  the  other  fellow's  story.  Don't  cut  him  short  to  tell 
yours. 

Listen  to  his  tale  of  woe.    Sympathize  with  him. 

Listen  to  his  tale  of  accomplishment.    Congratulate  him. 

Show  interest  in  his  affairs  so  that  when  the  time  comes 
he  is  morally  bound  to  show  an  interest  in  yours. 

And — all  the  time  you're  having  laid  open  before  you 
the  greatest  text-book  in  the  world — the  other  man's 
mind.    From  your  study  of  it  you  will  gain  the  knowledge 


The  Equipment  85 

^^t_liow_diffei'eut  Djeu  's  minds  work  under  certain  coildi- 
t^ions.  You  will  acciuire  an  ability  to  forecast  the  outcome 
of  situations  whiclLis_ almost  uncanny. 

And  as  for  immediate  results — your  interest  in  him  will 
be  repaid  by  his  interest  in  you  and  your  affairs. 

Be  receptive. 

Be  interested. 

It  pays. 


(f)    INITIATIVE 

I'll  take  your  ability  for  granted. 

If  you  want  maximum  returns  from  the  exercise  of  that 
ability,  you'll  have  to  add  initiative. 

Fortune  grants  her  highest  favors  to  the  fellow  who 
doesn't  have  to  be  told— who  finds  out  for  himself  what 
needs  to  be  done  and  then  does  it. 

Here  are  the  steps— if  you  can  so  term  them— of  initia- 
tive: 

Step  a. — Looking  for  opportunity 

Step  h. — Finding  out  how  to  take  advantage  of  it 

Step  c. — Actually  doing  it 

Consider  Charlie  Chapman,  our  new  office  boy. 


86  Salesmanship 

He  noticed  that  our  distilled  drinkiug  water  bills  ran 
high. 

Step  a. — Looking  for  opportunity — how  to  cut  down  water 
bills. 


The  water  tank  stood  in  the  outer  office.  Charlie  noticed 
that  errand  boys,  solicitors,  outsiders  were  consuming 
more  of  the  water  than  the  office  force  itself. 

Step  b. — Finding  how  to  do  it.  Charlie  decided  that  if 
the  tank  were  less  accessible  to  outsiders  the  water  con- 
sumption would  be  smaller. 

Step  c. — Actually  taking  advantage  of  the  opportunity 
he  created  for  himself.  He  moved  the  tank  inside  the 
railing — out  of  reach.  Outsiders  now  get  their  drinking 
water  elsewhere.    Our  bills  are  cut  in  half. 

That's  initiative.  Small  thing,  yes,  but  Charlie's  initia- 
tive is  proved  by  the  fact  that,  without  being  told,  he  has 
our  desks  clean  in  the  morning;  without  being  told,  in  his 
spare  time,  he  has  gained  a  working  knowledge  of  type- 
wTiting  and  is  just  about  three  times  as  valuable  as  the 
last  boy  wo  had.    There's  sonjcthing  in  store  for  him. 

Let's  apply  the  three  steps  of  initiative  in  another  walk 
of  life  and  see  how  they  fit. 

Step  a. — William  Wrigley  in  the  chewing-gum  business. 
Decided  that  some  one  flavor  must  have  a  imiversal 
appeal  to  the  gum-chewing  public 


The  Equipment  87 

Step  b. — Experiments  with  a  nuiiibei-  of  flavors.  Decides 
from  actual  test  that  the  Spearmint  flavor  should  hit  the 
taste  of  nine  out  of  every  ten  gum-chewers. 

Step  c. — Plunges — backs  his  judgment  with  his  all — 
markets  Speannint  in  a  way  that  insures  maximum  re- 
sults from  his  initiative. 

And  if  million-dollar  advertising  contracts  and  earnings 
that  look  like  national  bank  deposits  are  any  criterion, 
Wrigley's  initiative  has  cashed  in  big. 

Now  there  are  certainly  other  men  in  the  chewing-gum 
business  who  had  the  same  degree  of  ability  that  Wrigley 
possessed. 

But  he  was  the  one  man  with  real  initiative  and  dynamic 
force  who  looked  for  opportunity  and  when  he  found  it, 
acted. 

This  world  is  full  of  things  waiting  to  be  done  and  people 
who  are  capable  of  doing  them. 

But  most  men  wait  for  the  task  to  be  pointed  out — wait 
for  the  word  to  go  ahead. 

The  fellow  who  keeps  his  initiative  on  the  job  is  his  own 
best  boss. 

And  that's  the  first  step  toward  being  boss  of  other  men. 


(g)    EELIABILITY 


Rawing  Su  is  a  Chinaman. 


88  Salesmanship 

He  is  in  the  silk  trade. 

Ono  unlucky  year  he  took  an  order  for  one  hundred  cases 
of  pongee. 

The  goods  were  sold  with  the  understanding  that  they 
would  be  up  to  sample. 

But  that  year  there  was  a  shortage  of  raw  silk. 

The  mulberry  trees  suffered  from  the  drought  and  the 
worms  produced  less  than  one-half  the  usual  number  of 
cocoons. 

But  Rawing  Su  delivered  the  goods  up  to  sample  and 
at  no  advance  in  price. 

He  delivered  goods  up  to  sample  as  his  fathers  had  before 
him. 

They  do  things  that  way  in  China.  They've  lived  long 
enough  to  know  that  reliability  counts — that  one  gain 
by  trickery  or  hedging  cheapens  a  man  or  a  name  more 
than  ten  years  of  honesty  can  exalt  it. 

Two  men  are  candidates  for  promotion. 

In  ability — the  general  manager  feels — they  are  equal. 

Reliability  is  the  factor  that  weights  down  the  scale  in 
favor  of  one  or  the  other. 

When  from  acquaintance  ^vith  a  man  you  feel  absolutely 
certain  that  his  word  once  passed  will  be  lived  up  to,  his 
reliHbilitv  is  worth  cash  money. 


llie  Equipment  SQ 

Couple  ability  and  reliability  and  you've  the  prettiest 
team  that  ever  pulled  a  man  out  of  the  ranks  into  an 
executive  chair. 

Reliability  must  be  based  on  the  little  things  as  well  as 
the  big  ones.  To  gain  a  reputation  for  being  reliable  you 
have  simply  got  to  earn  it. 

Lots  of  men  are  absolutely  trustworthy  in  the  big  things 
and  unreliable  in  the  little  ones. 

Then  they  wonder  why  people  consider  them  unreliable. 

Don't  promise  what  you  can't  perform. 

But  when  you  do  promise,  deliver. 

And  whether  it's  a  big  business  task  or  an  appointment 
to  go  to  the  theatre,  if  you  say  Tuesday  at  eight  o'clock, 
make  it  Tuesday  at  eight  o'clock — or  sooner. 

It  may  be  a  pleasant  form  of  self -flattery  to  feel  that  you 
have  the  little  eccentricities  of  genius  that  make  you  take 
no  account  of  time,  but  believe  me,  brother,  thfi_i3ashable 
quality  of  promising  only  what  you  can  perform  and  being 
on  time  in  work  and  play  puts  old-age  security  in  the 
bank.    And  that's  what  you're  after. 


A  Last  Word  on  LIilestone  Number  Two 

The  source  of  all  human  knowledge  is  a  successive  build- 
ing on  the  findings  of  others — evolution. 


90  Salesmanship 

From  friction  sticks  to  flint  and  steel — then  step  by  step 
to  the  sulphur  match — man  groped  his  way  upwards  to 
portable  pocket  fire. 

Even'thing  you  wear,  live  in,  use,  travel  on,  is  the  result 
of  this  self-same  evolution. 

For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  ages,  business — 
that  stupendous  force  which  governs  human  progress — 
has  begun  to  analyze  its  *' why's"  and  "wherefore's" — 
the  reasons  behind  the  moves  ahead. 

And  business — in  the  last  analysis — is  simply  a  multipli- 
cation of  men. 

Know  men — know  how  to  win  men — how  to  handle  them, 
and  you  know  business. 

Let  your  fearlessness,  your  self-confidence,  your  ambi- 
tion, your  will,  your  concentration,  and  your  sincerity 
so  amalgamate  and  grow  that  the  men  you  meet  will  rec- 
ognize and  respect  your  personality — your  mind  qual- 
ities. 

Let  your  memory  file  away  for  instant  reference  the 
worth-while  things  you  see  and  hear. 

Let  your  speech  convey  forcefully,  interestingly,  and  con- 
vincingly the  thoughts  from  your  mind  to  that  of  your 
auditor. 

Let  your  knowledge  of  suggestion  fonn  your  own  life 
and  bend  others  to  your  will. 


The  Equipment  91 

Let  your  tact  gnide  your  footsteps  safely  past  the  little 
pitfalls  that  turn  sometimes  into  big  stumbling  blocks. 

Let  your  interest  in  other  people  justify  their  interest 
in  you. 

Let  your  sincerity  make  your  every  move,  action,  and 
word  solid  gold. 

Let  your  initiative  force  the  action  that  finds  oppor- 
tunity. 

Let  your  reliability  blanket  the  whole  with  that  feeling 
which  makes  men  willing  to  trust  you  with  their  all — to 
stake,  yes,  their  very  lives  on  your  spoken  word. 

And  remember  that  you  may  know  all  these  things — 
know  how  to  use  them,  and  yet  not  profit  thereby. 

Ajnanjnay  spend  twenty  years  studying  how  to  hit  a 
pitched  ball;  yet,  without  practice,  all  of  his  labor  goes 
for  nauglit. 

But  add  to  his  theoretical  knowledge  a  few  weeks  of  prac- 
tical application  in  swatting  the  leather  sphere  with  a 
hickory  stick  and  he  begins  to  cash  hi  on  his  knowledge 
of  principles. 

First  of  all,  you  must  have  the  knowledge. 

But  to  profit  you  must  apply  it. 

Li  plain  English,  only  action  brings  reward. 


92  Salesmanship 

TEST  QUESTIONS 

1.  How  mauy  persons  or  things  do  you  accept  as  good  or 
capable  simply  because  they  appear  good  ? 

2.  Why  are  first  impressions  so  tremendously  important? 

3.  Through  what  three  channels  do  we  make  our  impressions 
upon  people? 

4.  What  two  big  factors  determine  the  physical  impression 
which  we  make  upon  people? 

5.  What  six  channels  govern  the  mental  impression  which  we 
make  upon  people? 

6.  What  seven  factors  may  we  use  in  making  our  conscious 
impression  upon  other  people  ? 

7.  How  many  Darlingtons  do  you  have  among  your  list  of 
acquaintances?  To  your  knowledge,  are  any  of  these  hampered 
by  their  eccentricities? 

8.  W'hat  concrete  application  can  you  make  of  the  health 
charts  presented  in  this  milestone? 

9.  As  you  make  a  self-analysis  of  your  o^^^l  personality,  which 
of  the  mind  qualities  that  go  into  the  making  of  a  good  mental 
impression  do  you  need  to  strengthen  in  yourself? 

10.  Do  you  analyze  every  phase  of  your  work  with  the  idea 
of  making  a  better  conscious  impression  through  the  use  of  the 
seven  channels  outlined  m  this  work? 

11.  Did  you  ever  find  a  more  simple  and  yet  effective  guide 
for  memory  training  than  that  given  in  this  milestone  ? 

12.  Have  you  consciously  trained  your  voice  and  speech  with 
the  idea  of  assisting  you  in  making  a  better  impression  among 
your  associates? 

13.  What  is  meant  by  suggestion? 

14.  Are  you  checking  your  spoken  and  written  matter  so  as  to 
make  everything  that  goes  into  it  conform  to  the  rules  of  posi- 
tive rather  than  of  negative  suggestions?  It  pays  to  make  this 
analysis. 

15.  What  helpful  ideas  has  this  milestone  given  you  concerning 
the  personal  e(iuipment  which  you  need  for  business  success? 


MILESTONE  NUMBER  THREE 

SELLING    PERSONALITY 

The  largest  just  reward  this  world  holds  in  store  for  any 
man  is  the  full  cash  value  of  his  services. 

Because — while  some  men  get  less  than  they  are  worth, 
the  most  any  man  wants  or  hopes  for  is  all  he  earns. 

Business  mariners  who  have  brought  their  craft  safely 
through  the  shoals  and  breakers  of  life  into  that  ultimate 
port  called  "success,"  have  charted  and  mapped  a  course 
which  you  can  safely  and  profitably  follow.  Saihng  direc- 
tions are  simple. 

First,  as  insurance  against  under-ipa,jraent,  learn  to  sell 
your  personality  and  ability  at  its  full  market  value. 

Second,  keep  on  building  and  adding  to  what  you  have  to 
sell;  day  by  day  make  yourself  worth  a  little  more  and 
year  by  year  collect  for  it. 

Who  wants  to  buy  an  industrial  stock  that  passes  div- 
idends, stands  still,  or  decreases  in  value? 

You'll  find  your  answer  in  the  stock  offerings  that  have 
no  takers. 

What  concern  wants  a  man  who  stands  still  or  goes  back? 

93 


94  Salesmanship 

You'll  find  the  answer  to  that  question  in  the  army  of 
unemployed. 

Big  vs.  Little  Jobs 

Look  at  the  want  ad  columns  of  the  Sunday  papers.  At 
a  glance  they'll  tell  you  how  many  people  are  seeking  and 
striving  and  driving  for  the  fifteen  and  twenty  dollar  a 
week  positions. 

Competition  is  keen  for  the  bare  livings — a  hundred  men 
fighting  for  eveiy  job. 

But  when  it's  a  five,  a  ten,  or  a  twenty  thousand  dollar 
position — then — as  a  rule,  the  job  goes  hunting  for  the 
man. 

Here's  a  trite  old  truism.    But — read  it  and  heed  it. 

The  high-salaried  man  who  is  ivorth  the  price  is  harder 
to  find  than  the  proverbial  hen's  teeth. 

The  big  positions  find  few  applicants ;  the  little  jobs  have 
a  waiting  list. 

One  morning  Ira  Potter  wakes  up  to  find  himself  out  of 
work.    His  firm  has  failed  overnight. 

Ira,  not  in  a  position  to  live  on  the  interest  of  his  money, 
gets  a  newspaper  and  starts  answering  the  **  Bookkeeper 

Wanted"  ads  that  look  best  to  him. 

Along  witli  just  exactly  one  hundred  and  sixteen  other 
letters,  in  due  course  Ira's  application  reaches  one  of  the 
advertisers  and  tJie  time  is  set  for  an  interview  in  person. 


Selling  Personality  95 

Finally — in  competition  with  one  hundred  and  sixteen 
other  human  beings,  Ira  lands  the  position.  Twenty  dol- 
lars a  week.  A  niche  carved  to  fit  the  man  who  is  sat- 
isfied with  what  life  chooses  to  dole  out  to  him — food, 
clothes,  a  place  to  lay  his  head,  and  the  right  to  exist. 

The  Belt  Smelting  Company  wants  an  auditor.  It  needs 
the  right  man  and  needs  him  badly.  Its  cost  figures  vary 
materially  from  its  records  of  actual  material,  labor,  and 
overhead  expense. 

And  correct  fignires — better  methods — may  mean  a  sav- 
ing of  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  thousand  dollars  per 
year. 

The  directors  of  the  company  are  all  active  executives 
of  the  concern.  They  call  an  informal  meeting  and  cast 
about  in  their  own  organization  for  a  competent  man. 
But  they  fail  to  find  him. 

In  all  their  gigantic  office  force  it  seems  as  if  no  man 
has  built  himself  to  meet  and  grasp  this  exceptional 
opportunity.  At  least,  if  the  man  is  there,  he  has  neg- 
lected to  ''sell"  the  men  above  him — failed  to  make  him- 
self known. 

So — though  the  need  exists,  the  man  is  lacking. 

They  cast  about ;  they  puzzle ;  they  figure.  * '  Where — how 
— can  w^e  get  a  man  who  will  reconcile  and  cut  our  costs?" 

The  auditorship  pays  six  thousand  a  year  to  start.  The 
right  man  can  double  his  initial  earning  if  he  produces 
— delivers. 


96  Salesmanalup 

Aud  the  men  at  the  head  of  the  Belt  Smelting  Company 
positively  aud  absolutely  don't  know  where  to  turn  to 
get  the  executive  they  want. 

Yet — the  day  before — one  hundred  and  sixteen  humans 
made  application  for  the  twenty  dollar  a  w^eek  bookkeep- 
ing job. 

In  charge  of  the  costs  of  the  Newles  Company  in  Pitts- 
burg is  a  thirty-five-year-old  djniamo  who  signs  his  checks 
''Harrison  Landon. " 

His  work  has  been  remarkable;  it  has  been  noted  by 
outsiders  as  well  as  bj^  those  above  him. 

So — winding  slowly  along  the  grapevine  telegraph,  word 
reaches  the  Belt  people  of  a  fellow  in  Pittsburg  who 
might  be  the  right  man. 

In  Landon  's  morning  mail  comes  an  invitation  to  call  on 
the  Belt  Smelting  Company. 

The  six  thousand  dollar  job  is  seeking  the  man ! 

One  month  later,  intrenched  behind  a  mahogany  desk  in 
a  private  office,  Harrison  Landon  is  on  his  road  to  a  five- 
figure  salary. 

The  job  lias  foiuid  the  man.  The  directors  are  congrat- 
ulating themselves  on  having  secured  his  services  and 
are  doing  everything  in  their  power  to  help  him  get  a 
fair,  square  start. 

In  the  big  general  office  a  new  bookkeeper,  Ira  Potter  by 
name,  is  figuratively  sweating  blood  in  a  vain  effort  to 


Selling  Persunality  97 

conform  to  the  new  system  he  is  working  under.  At  a 
battered  desk  the  chief  clerk  turns  a  dubious  eye  upon 
him  and  his  labor.  ''Wonder  if  that  fellow  is  any  good 
after  all.  Guess  I'd  better  let  him  go  Saturday.  No 
trouble  getting  a  new  bookkeeper. ' ' 

Think  it  over. 

Both  Ira  Potter  and  Harrison  Landon  had  the  same 
starting  point. 

Landon  didn't  start  at  six  thousand  a  year;  six  dollars 
a  week  hits  nearer  the  contents  of  his  first  pay  envelopes. 

But  he  built  his  ability,  trained  himself,  developed ;  and 
as  his  worth  grew,  his  income  grew.  He  sold  himself 
all  the  way  up. 

The  only  kind  of  building  Ira  Potter  did  was  the  unavoid- 
able brand  that  comes  from  constant  repetition  of  a 
stated  task. 

And  the  chances  are  that  right  in  the  Belt  Smelting  Com- 
pany's own  organization  there  was  a  man  who  had  built 
himself  for  the  job  that  opened  opportunity  but  failed  to 
get  even  a  look  at  it,  simply  because  he  had  overlooked 
the  necessity  of  selling  himself  and  his  possibilities  to 
his  employers. 

Now  don't  misunderstand  me.  No  clerk  out  of  the  ranks 
could  have  made  good  on  the  auditorship.  But  some- 
body should  have  been  in  line  for  that  ]6b.  A  man  out 
of  their  own  organization  who  had  delivered  every  stej) 


98  Salesmanship 

of  the  way  would  have  been  far  preferable  in  the  eyes 
of  his  employers. 

There  you  have  the  three  classes  of  men: 

( 1 )  The  fellow  who  doesn  't  try ; 

(2)  The  man  who  builds  his  ability  but  fails  to  adver- 
tise it — to  make  his  possibilities  known  j 

(3)  The  success — the  combination  of  ever-increasing 
ability  and  constant  personality  selling — who  wins 
in  spite  of  the  barriers. 

And — after  all — you  can  be  what  yoti  make  yourself. 

Somehow  or  other,  up  to  the  time  we  draw  down  fifty 
dollars  or  so  per  week  those  stepping-stones  of  salary 
raises  are  far,  far  apart.  Each  one  seems  like  the  last 
and  a  tendency  to  lay  down  and  be  satisfied  grows  upon  us. 

But — that  first  pay  check  for  fifty  dollars  as  recom- 
pense for  six  days'  service  seems  to  act  like  a  mental 
douche  of  ice-cold  water — an  awakener — an  eye-opener 
— and  the  hundred  dollar  a  week  mark — yes,  the  two  hun- 
dred dollar  a  week  mark — heaves  right  in  sight  and  seems 
almost  within  reach. 

Then  just  a  little  longer  pull  and  a  little  stronger  one 
and  the  sky  is  the  only  limit  so  far  as  earning  is  con- 
cerned. 

But  the  fellow  who  lies  down  and  rests — who  is  satisfied 
— at  any  point — is  lost ;  he 's  through.  He  becomes  one  of 
the  vast  army  by  the  wayside  which  acts  as  background 
and  scenery  for  the  man  who  really  goes  through. 


Selling  Personality  99 

Bear  this  in  mind :  The  fellow  above  you  today  compar- 
atively but  yesterday  found  less  in  his  pay  check  than 
5'ou  do  now. 

And  the  future  to  him  wore  a  cloak  of  mystery  thickly 
studded  with  question  marks. 

But  he  pulled  back  that  curtain  and  traveled  the  iden- 
tical road  that  you  are  following  to  do  it.  There  is  no 
reason  under  the  blue  sky  above  why  you  can't  do  as 
much. 

Now  I  'm  going  to  repeat :  Step  by  step — constantly  add- 
ing to  your  store  of  knowledge — constantly  fitting  your- 
self for  the  step  ahead — study  and  work;  use  every 
faculty  within  you ;  develop  the  latents ;  create  new  ones ; 
build  yourself,  your  ability,  and  your  possibilities  day 
by  day ;  and  sell  yourself  all  the  way. 

When  you  stop  to  analyze  it,  the  salesman  selling  goods 
on  the  road  has  just  exactly  three  things  to  do:  He 
first  has  to  find  a  customer;  he  then  has  to  make  the 
sale;  and  last,  but  not  least,  he  has  to  cultivate  his  cus- 
tomers— make  them  buy  more. 

Let's  see  just  how  these  three  steps  check  up  with  what 
you  have  to  do  in  selling  personality — in  selling  your- 
self. 

They  are  identically  the  same. 

You  are  your  own  wares.  The  man  who  employs  you  is 
your  customer. 


100  Salesmanship 

First  of  all,  you've  got  to  find  your  customer — locate  a 
concern  where  there  is  an  opportunity  for  you  and  which 
either  needs  what  you  have  to  offer  or  can  be  put  in 
the  market  for  it. 

So  far  your  efforts  parallel  those  of  the  salesman. 

Next  you  We  got  to  make  the  first  sale — actually  land  the 
position. 

And  then — where  the  salesman's  work  is  to  make  his 
customers  buy  more  of  his  wares,  your  task  is  to  build 
the  value  of  your  services  and  get  a  just  cash  return 
therefrom — win  promotion. 

Position  and  Promotion 

Consequently  this  milestone  automatically  divides  itself 
into  two  sections  or  divisions : 

(1)  Locating  and  securing  the  right  position 

(2)  Winning  promotion 

Feeling  that  the  majority  of  the  men  who  read  this  book 
are  more  interested  in  the  second  step — winning  promo- 
tion— than  in  the  first,  I  was  sorely  tempted  to  reverse 
the  order  and  put  the  last  step  first. 

But— 

Here  is  one  reason  why  you  will  find  the  two  steps  in 
their  proper  order. 

A  man  whom  we  will  call  Redding,  principally  because 
tiiat  is  about  as  far  from  his  real  name  as  we  can  get, 


Selling  Personality  101 

started  to  work  nine  years  ago  as  Sales  Correspondent 
for  a  large  manufacturing  concern. 

His  salary  was  fifteen  dollars  per  week. 

Never  mind  the  steps  in  between.  To  make  it  short  and 
sweet,  he  progressed  to  the  Sales  Manager's  chair  and 
a  salary  of  six  thousand  dollars  per  annum. 

No  question  about  his  ability  to  sell  his  personality  as 
well  as  to  direct  his  salesmen  how  to  market  the  wares 
of  his  firm.  His  quick  promotion  and  steady  progress 
bore  witness  to  that. 

The  President  of  the  concern  was  a  progressive ;  he  was 
the  man  who  had  recognized  Bedding's  ability — fostered 
and  encouraged  his  growth. 

In  the  fall  of  1913  the  President  died  suddenly.  The 
other  officers — all  extreme  conservatives — old-school  bus- 
iness men — took  one  look  at  Bedding's  six  thousand  dol- 
lar salary — and — cut  it  square  in  half. 

Redding  knew  he  was  worth  the  six,  refused  to  stand 
the  cut,  and  resigned  almost  overnight. 

Upon  my  word  of  honor,  that  man — a  success  in  everj- 
sense  of  the  word — was  at  as  much  of  a  loss  to  know  how 
to  go  about  finding  another  position  as  a  boy  just  out 
of  school. 

He  possessed  ability  and  the  knowledge  of  how  to  win 
promotion  in  a  superlative  degree,  but  he  just  didn't 


102  Salesmanship 

have  the  faintest  conception  of  how  to  go  about  looking 
for  another  position. 

Yet  there  were  fully  ten  six  thousand  dollar  a  year  open- 
ings in  the  Middle  West  alone  for  a  man  of  his  training 
and  qualifications — 

Which  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  within  thirty  days  of 
the  time  that  he  was  shown  the  way,  he  landed. 

Redding 's  case  is  one  of  the  big  reasons  why  I've  decided 
to  start  at  the  begimiing  and  in  logical  sequence  give  you 
both  steps  of  selling  personality. 

Certain  things — accidents  are  about  the  only  term  we 
can  apply — enter  into  this  life  of  ours  which  upset  the 
best-laid  plans  and  create  absolutely  unforeseen  situa- 
tions. 

It  might  pay  you — yes,  even  you — to  give  the  subjects 
of  how  to  locate  a  position  and  how  to  land  it  a  little 
consideration. 

For — who  knows? 

No  matter  who  you  are — no  matter  what  you  are — ask 
yourself  this  one  question: 

If  I   were  out  of   a  position  tomorrow  morning, 
where  would  I — where  could  I — go? 

If  you  can  honestly  answer  that  question  to  your  own 
Batisfaction,  you  'dm  fortunate  indeed. 


Selling  Personality  103 

If  you  can 't — read  on. 

Ninety-nine  out  of  every  hundred  at  present  employed 
don't  have  to  look  one  foot  beyond  the  confines  of  their 
own  business  for  opportunity.  If  they  do,  they  run  the 
risk  of  finding  that  some  other  fellow  struck  oil  where 
they  tried  to  raise  rye  and  claimed  that  opportunity 
didn't  exist  on  the  land  because  of  their  failure. 

But  the  fellow  who,  through  the  force  of  fate  or  unfore- 
seen emergencies,  is  forced  to  seek  a  new  location  should 
act  as  carefully  as  the  man  about  to  invest  one  hundred 
thousand  cash  in  a  new  venture. 

For — your  services — your  time — is  your  capital — your 
all;  when  you  accept  a  position,  you  invest  it. 

When  a  concern  hires  you  they  risk  a  weekly  wage. 

When  you  go  to  work  for  a  corporation  you  invest  your 
future — a  part  of  your  life. 

So — act  accordingly.  See  that  the  house  is  live — pro- 
gressive ;  make  certain  they  've  the  capital ;  see  how  your 
present  training  and  ability  fit  in  with  their  organiza- 
tion; look  ahead  a  little.  Forecast  your  future  develop- 
ment and  the  market  for  it. 

The  farmer  looks  at  the  soil  before  he  buys  the  farm. 
See  that  the  soil  of  your  prospective  employer  is  suited 
to  the  seed  from  which  you  plan  to  grow  your  dollar  crop. 


104  Slnlesmnnsliip 

Forget  the  ''bread  and  butter"  part  of  it.  You  want  the 
right  concern — first  of  all.  Yon'rp  looking  ahead  for  the 
"cake." 

You  are  old  enough  to  know  your  own  mind — to  estimate 
your  own  ability  and  past  training — the  possibilities  and 
lines  of  your  future  development. 

Appraise  it  as  you  would  the  qualifications  of  another 
man;  then  set  about  finding  a  concern  where  conditions 
are  propitious  to  your  ultimate  success. 

Deliberate  calculation  beforehand  saves  many  a  sigh  of 
regret  for  wasted  time  later. 

Your  first  work  is  to  locate  the  position  and  secure  a 
personal  interview. 

Steps  in  Getting  a  Position 

Broadly  speaking,  there  are  six  channels  through  which 
you  can  do  this:  (1)  answering  advertisements;  (2)  in- 
serting advertisements;  (3)  personal  acquaintance;  (4) 
circular  letters;  (5)  personal  calls;  (6)  employment 
agencies. 

The  last  two  have  been  inserted  simply  to  make  the  list 
complete. 

Personal  calls,  or  canvassing  for  a  job,  depreciate  the 
value  of  your  services  in  the  eyes  of  your  prospective 
employer — cheapens  you. 

Employment  agencies  are  like  a  valet — you  pay  someone 
else  to  perform  a  service  which  you  are  better  able  to 
and  should  do  yourself. 


Selling  Personality  105 

Eliminatmg  these  two  methods,  we  have  left  four  sound, 
well-defined  methods  of  finding  the  job  and  securing  a 
personal  interview.    Here  they  are : 

(1)  Answering  advertisements 

(2)  Inserting  advertisements 

(3)  Personal  acquaintance 

(4)  Circular  letters 

These  I  will  treat  in  the  order  named  above. 

This  book  is  destined  to  find  its  way  into  the  hands  of 
many  men — men  of  varied  occupations,  positions,  and 
requirements. 

Consequently  it  has  been  deemed  best  in  the  pages  fol- 
lowing to  deal  with  fundamentals  rather  than  specifics. 

A  sound  fundamental  once  grasped  and  understood  is 
universally  applicable  and  can  be  used  by  anyone,  any- 
where.   Specifics  are  woefully  limited  in  their  scope. 

And — the  man  who  is  not  capable  of  taking  the  funda- 
mentals offered  herein  and  building  upon  them  a  struc- 
ture which  fits  his  locality,  conditions,  and  situation  is  not 
the  man  I'm  talking  to  anyway. 

Answering  Ads 
Look  in  the  shop  window. 

Pick  out  the  positions  displayed  that  look  good  to  you. 
Open  the  door;  enter  and  inspect  'em. 


106  Salesmanship 

That's  just  what  it  amounts  to. 

The  want  ad  columns  of  the  city  newspaper  are  great 
show  windows;  they  display  positions — openings — thou- 
sands and  thousands  of  them — for  everyone  from  office 
boy  to  general  manager  and  in  between — small  jobs  offer- 
ing men  a  chance  to  compete — big  jobs  seeking  the  man. 

If  you  want  to  ''open  the  door" — to  get  a  closer  view — 
write  a  letter  saying  so. 

The  man  who  feels  that  it 's  beneath  his  dignity  to  answer 
a  want  ad  is  an  unqualified  ass. 

Some  of  the  best  concerns  I  know — Dun  and  Bradstreet 
recommend  'em  with  the  double  A  1  mark — recruit  and 
fill  practically  all  their  vacancies  that  can't  be  supplied 
from  their  own  organization  through  the  want  ad  columns 
of  daily  newspapers. 

And  some  of  these  vacancies  have  paid  big  salaries  to  the 
men  who  filled  them. 

Look  here! 

On  one  side  of  the  fence  we  have  the  corporations  who 
need  the  men. 

On  the  other  side  we  have  the  men  who  are  capable  and 
want  tlie  positions  the  corporations  offer. 

A  newspaper  want  ad  bridges  the  gap — places  the  posi- 
tion in  the  show  window  where  the  right  man  can  see  it. 


Selling  Personality  107 

Where  your  grandfather  drove  a  horse,  you  take  a  train 
and  cover  a  distance  in  an  hour  that  took  him  a  day.  Use 
all  the  conveniences  the  Twentieth  Century  offers  you. 
The  advertising  show  window  is  one  of  the  biggest. 

The  fellow  who  is  in  a  highly  specialized  field  and  feels 
that  his  training  makes  his  services  of  a  higher  value 
therein  than  elsewhere,  can  fall  back  on  the  trade  jour- 
nals, ranging  from  such  publications  as  Eardivare  Age 
in  the  hardware  field  to  Printer's  Ink  in  the  advertising 
business — Music  Trades  or  Presto  in  the  musical  instru- 
ment industry  and  so  on  right  through  the  varied  lines. 

The  big  fact  in  this  connection  is  that  thousands  and 
thousands  of  concerns  daily  advertise  through  these 
mediums  for  men  of  every  grade  and  salary. 

The  positions  are  in  the  shop  window  seeking  you  if  you  '11 
only  look  for  them. 

The  question  ''What  ads  shall  I  answer?"  is  answered 
best  by  a  fair  appraisal  of  your  experience  and  qualifi- 
cations. 

Pick  out  the  ones  that  seem  to  fit  you  and  that  you  '11  fit. 

Many  a  big  concern,  not  caring  to  have  their  offices  flooded 
by  a  miscellaneous  crowd  of  applicants,  insert  blind  ads 
— with  a  box  number  instead  of  a  name. 


Don't  fail  to  consider  the  blind  ads  right  along  with  the 
others. 


108 


Salesmanship 


As  a  quick,  con\dncing  answer  to  any  question  in  your 
mind  regarding  the  jobs  behind  the  ads,  here  follow  six 
representative  ads. 


PRESSED  STEEL 
company  employing  about  100  men  enlarging 
organization  due  to  considerable  increase  of 
business,  requires  bright,  active,  experienced 
shop  executive,  thoroughly  posted  in  the  theory 
and  practice  of  meriium  sized  press  work,  as 
ASSISTANT  SUPERINTENDENT.  Excel- 
lent prospects  for  right  man.  State  age,  full 
experience,  married  or  single,  salary  expected, 
etc.  All  replies  absolutely  confidential.  Ad- 
dresss  Box  R  374,  care  The  Iron  Age,  New 
York. 


CUSTOMS  BROKER  SEEKS  TOUNG  MTAN 
familiar  with  Custom  House  routine;  state  ex- 
perlertce,  salary,  references.  Address  "CUS- 
TOMS, 496,"   tills  oillc©. 


Purchasing  Agent 

A.  large  eoncral  morchandlBlng  and  pub- 
lishing establishment  requires  a  trained 
and  experienced  man  to  taKe  charge  of  its 
Supply  Department.  In  addition  to  being 
able  to  purchase  economically  whatever 
may  be  required,  he  must  know  materials 
and  their  uses  sulTlclently  well  to  recom- 
mend the  adoption  of  certain  standards 
and  to  establish  deflnitely  the  need  for 
everything  requlsltionad.  Ability  to  or- 
ganize an  efficient  staff  and  secure  proper 
care  and  economical  use  of  supplios 
throughout  a  large  establishment  an  essen- 
tial rcqulrite. 

Applicant  must  show  that  he  has  suc- 
ceeded else u  here  and  application  must  set 
forth  past  experience  In  detail.  Replies 
held  In  strict  confidence  and  no  references 
consulted  until  after  first  Interview. 

Address  "il.  M.,  85,"   chls  office. 


l^dliny  Personality 


109 


ADVERTISING  MANAGER. 

l-'^T«t-clas»  man  ai  wide  experience  in 
Depflrtment  Store  advertising.  One  who 
h«s  a  con-.plete  grasp  of  merchandising 
and  its  nrinciples,  and  can  originate  and 
personally  work  otit  business-getting 
copy  and  lay-outs.  Should  be  familiar 
with   tlie  New  York  ticld. 

Apply  by  letter  or  in  person  at  Pri- 
vate Office,  any  morning  between  S:30 
and  12. 


WANTED 


As  instructor,  writer  and  office  execu- 
tive, a  capable  young  C.  P.  A.  (or 
C.  A.).  Salary  $3000  to  $4000.  Give  full 
statement  as  to  training,  experience  and 
references. 

S-264,  0/0  Journal  of  Accountancy. 


WANTED— 

Branch  Manager 

WANTED — A  branch  manager,  familiar  with 
modem  business  methods,  the  handHng  of 
traveHng  representatives  and  retail  dealers, 
granting  of  credits,  making  of  collections, and  pref- 
erably experienced  in  the  hardware  or  agricultural 
implement  lines  particularly. 

Please  state  qualifications  fully,  as  well  as  age 
and  salary  expectations. 

All  applications  will  be  heldstrictly  cortfiden  tiaL 

F.  J.  AREND,  President 

THE  DE  LAVAL  SEPARATOR  COMPANY 

165  Broadway,  NEW  YORK 


110  Salesmanship 

Wlion  you've  selected  the  ads  that  seem  to  offer  the  posi- 
tions you  are  capable  of  filling,  the  next  problem  is  how 
to  answer  them  in  a  manner  that  insures  an  inter^dew. 

Here's  the  thought  in  letter-writing  to  secure  an  inter- 
view: 

First,  put  yourself  in  the  position  of  the  man  who  is 
going  to  read  your  letter.  AVhat  does  he  want  to  know 
about  you? 

Then  make  your  letter  tell  him. 

Cut  down— trim— make  it  brief  without  omitting  any 
vital  details. 

Give  yourself  full  face  value  but  avoid  overstatement. 
Promising  the  earth  and  delivering  the  moon  may  land 
an  interview  but  it  won't  secure  the  job. 

If  possible,  avoid  the  question  of  salary  until  you  are 
face  to  face  with  your  prospective  employer. 

Primarily  he  is  interested  in  seeing  the  man  who  may 
fill  the  bill. 

The  salary  question  comes  later. 

He  has  a  figure  in  mind  he  is  willing  to  pay.  It  may  be 
more  than  you  expect  to  get.  And  if  it's  less,  what  you 
have  to  offer  in  a  personal  interview  may  make  him  raise 
his  figure  a  little  for  the  sake  of  getting  the  right  man. 

The  question  of  immediate  compensation  is  minor  any- 
way.   Buyers  must  be  interested  in  the  man  before  they 


Selling  Personality  .  Ill 

are  interested  in  the  price.  And  you  are  eventually  going 
to  get  what  you  are  worth. 

Unless  you  are  applying  for  a  position  where  handwrit- 
ing is  one  of  the  necessary  qualifications,  such  as  that  of 
bookkeeper,  have  your  letters  typewritten. 

The  man  of  affairs — through  habit — reads  typewriting 
more  easily  and  gets  a  better  business  impression  from 
a  typed  letter  than  from  a  handwritten  one. 

Your  letter  is  the  vehicle  that  brings  you  first  to  his 
attention.  You  would  hardly  expect  to  get  a  reputation 
as  an  up-to-date  man  by  driving  an  ox-cart  up  to  his  door 
when  the  street  car  ran  there,  would  you? 

Don't  use  the  ox-cart  of  handwriting  when  the  electric 
car  of  typewriting  is  at  your  command. 

Put  a  little  extra  attention-insurance  on  your  letter  by 
sending  it  special  delivery. 

Summed  up,  answering  advertisements  is  following  the 
lines  of  least  resistance — selecting  from  the  show  ^vin- 
dows  the  positions  you  desire  and  trjdng  for  them. 

iNSERTnTG  Ads 

Here  is  the  step  ahead. 

Instead  of  going  to  market,  you  bring  the  market  home. 

In  lieu  of  applying  for  a  position,  you  make  prospective 
employers  apply  to  you  for  your  services. 


llll  Salesvianskifp 

Substantially,  that's  what  it  amounts  to. 

The  same  advertising  mediums  that  carry  the  employer 's 
message  of  "Man  Wanted"  mil  carry  your  message  of 
** Employers  Apply.'' 

Select  the  ajdvertising  mediums  which  reach  the  men  who 
may  be  in  the  market  for  your  services. 

Then  sit  downi  and  prepare  your  advertisement. 

There's  no  mystery — no  "hanky-panky" — about  ad- 
writing. 

No  man  on  earth  by  a  magic  touch  of  verbiage  can  make 
your  services  worth  more  than  they  are. 

You  are  your  own  best  ad-writer  because  you  know  your- 
self best. 

Inserting  an  advertisement  for  the  position  you  want 
won't  and  can't  turn  incompetency  into  success. 

But  putting  in  a  notice  for  the  position  you  can  fill  will 
land  it. 

Before  you  start  to  write,  know  what  you  've  got  to  write 
about;  classify  it;  jot  down  your  training,  your  ability, 
the  character  of  your  services. 

P^orget  your  morals  and  your  habits.  They'll  be  looked 
into  later.  Good  morals  and  habits  don't  have  to  be 
advertised.    They  speak  for  themselves. 


Selling  Personality  113 

When  you  have  on  paper  the  things  you  have  to  sell,  start 
constructing  your  advertisement. 

Buying  space  at  so  much  a  line,  words  become  the  most 
valuable  things  in  the  world  and  brevity  is  the  spirit  of 
economy  as  well  as  the  soul  of  wit. 

You  are  trying  to  sell  yourself  just  as  you  would  a  com- 
modity. 

Describe  yourself  in  the  same  manner. 

State  your  case  plainly  so  that  the  reader  may  know  just 
exactly  what  you  are  good  for,  what  you  want,  and  why 
he  should  want  you. 

Put  yourself  in  your  prospective  employer 's  place ;  antici- 
pate his  requirements ;  talk  straight  from  the  shoulder  in 
a  brief,  business-like  manner. 

Then — as  Wm.  Handy  used  to  say  when  the  cub  reporter 
brought  in  a  three-column  story,  "Cut  it  to  twenty-four 
words,  and  don't  leave  anything  out." 

Here  follow  five  representative  advertisements  from 
people  who  wanted  positions  and  who  found  them  through 
putting  their  goods  in  the  advertising  show  -svindow. 


SITUATION  WANTED— GIRLS  WHO  ARE 
quick  and  accurate  at  figures  a^  well  as  shorthand 
and  typowriling  are  just  what  some  Chicago  employ- 
ers need.  I  am  an  IS-year-oId  girl,  fully  qualified  and 
experienced  In  these  lines  of  work.  I  have  a  good 
position  now  but  my  mother  would  feel  a  lot  happier 
if  I  Were  employed  in  some  hich  chias  office  in  the  loop 
district.  I'd  like  very  much  to  hear  from  such  firms, 
aud  the  better  the  future  you  have  to  offer,  the  lia|)- 
piei  I'll  be  in  the  work. 

BETTY   BELDEN.  37UO  Michujan-sv 


ll-i  Salesmanship 

Tncre.'.sinR  output  without  sacnficinR  quality 
tends  to  increnso  rrofit  in  ilic  mnnufacturc  of 
pitf  iron.  The  advertiser  hn?  hail  twenty  years' 
exnericnce  as  SUPF.RI  NTENDEXT  and  GEN- 
ER  VL  MANAGER— at  merchant  and  steel 
works  furnaces — and  has  a  good  record  for  pr«- 
duction  and  cost.  Up  to  date,  encrsetic,  re- 
sourceful and  good  oreanizer.  References  from 
present  employers  and  others.  Present  position 
of  uncertain  duration.  Desires  engagement  in 
operalin;;  or  e.\ecutive  position  with  prospect  of 
permanence.  Address  Box  R  363,  care  The 
Iron  Aac,  New  York. 


Welfare  Manager 


f^ENTLEMAN  with  broad  practical  ex- 
^^  perience  offers  his  services  in  a  consul- 
tative capacity  to  executives  who  wish  to 
start  wflfare  work  in  factories  in  New 
Yorli.  Has  thorough  knowled^^e  of  Labor 
and  Workmen's  Compensation  Laws  and  in 
organization  of  lalwr.  Medical  and  Safety 
Departments.  Address  Box  11,  care  of 
American  Lvdcsibles.  30  Cburch  Street, 
New  York  City. 


Hustling  Advertising  Manager-Solici- 
tor showing  increase  five  hundred  to 
one  thousand  dollars  each  month  over 
previous  year,  desires  position  Adver- 
tising or  Business  Manager  on  _  live 
paper.  Ten  years  newspaper  experience 
all  its  branches.  Excellent  copy  writer — 
designer.  2& — married.  If  opportunity 
good  $4000.00  available  as  investment. 
A-1  references.     Box  725,  c/o  P.  I. 


ADVEBTISING  DIRECTOR 
of  wide  experience  and 
d«nnonBtrat«d  ability,  sJx 
years  In  present  position, 
v/anta  to  connect  wtth  sound 
mercantile  or  manufacturing 
concern,  effocUve  January  1, 
or  6uch  time  as  Is  fair  to  all 
parties.  Retail  mall  order 
proposition  preferred,  but 
any  business  having  the  pos- 
sibilities of  BIG  SUCCESS 
"Will  be  considered. 


Selling  Personality  115 

Probably  the  flr^  (jtwwtloTj  yen  w^U  a«1l  ^o, 
"  Why  doijfl  tht«  man  Wiint  to  chan,3»T" 
Owh  renson  is  tliat  1  war.l  to  goi  into  u  bual- 
fiesB  susceptible  to  develotinient  on  a  large 
ecala,  where  my  woU  founded,  conservative, 
and  pnoVEN  Ideas  or;  advertlfilng  can  b« 
workfnj  out  unhampered  by  reetrlctlons  that 
provonl  continuity.  Another  la  thai  partial 
reorgAnizatloii  of  tha  concern  I  am  now 
tvith  his  Injected  policies  with  which  I  aia 
not  In  accord. 

"  Hitching  up  "  with  a  salary  le  not  th« 
vital  point— am  npw  advsrtlfcing  oaanagrsr  of. 
one  of  the  large  ijiall  order  concf^m*  of  the 
country  and  drawing  a  very  comfortabl© 
remuneration  I  must  be  convinced  of  the 
POSSIBILITIES  of  your  propofiUion  or  I  do 
not  A'aot  It  at  any  prlca. 

pvom  a  0ift<*s  tur*  T  Jntierltcd  e.  talent  for 
ptittlna  word*  to«fetfc»r,  awl  thld  v/as  fully 
developed  by  general  news^apsr  work  My 
copy  Ig  forceful,  logical,  and  convincing.  I 
learned  the  printing  trade  ajid  was,  recos- 
nlzed  as  a  master  or  tyr'ographlcal  display. 
This  enables  me  to  •'  lay  out  "  attractlv« 
catalogue  pages  or  advertisements  and  pre- 
pare the  copy  In  a  way  to  economize  time 
in  typesetting,  keeping  ajpense  down,  to  the 
lowest  point.  Also  to  plan  my  work  for  all 
mechanical  processed  so  aa  to  avoid  tb» 
*•  tricks  of  the  trade." 

JffiLfKRIENCE— 

That  I  am  not  limited  to  any  one  Btyle  of 
edvertlBlng  or  to  tlie  m«tbods  of  any  on» 
line  of  bu.slness  is  shown  by  my  experience, 
which  includes  Stnto-st.  dt?partment  store. 
Installment  furniture,  wholesale  general 
merchandise,  and  mall  order.  In  addition 
was  for  two  years  chief  of  the  copy  depart- 
ment of  a  prominent  advertising  agency, 
handling  various  proiiosltions.  I  lHADB 
GOOD  WITH   EVERY  ONE  OP  THEM. 

OTTALIFICAtlONS— 

lHy  broad  experience  enables  me  to  ana- 
ly&ea  business,  discover  Ub  possibilities  and 
llmltatione,  and  form  accurate  jadgmenta 
as  to  what  adverilsingr  plans  will  bring  the 
rreatest  volume  of  returns.  Then  I  can 
formulate  tlieso  plans  and  execute  them  In 
a  strong,  forceful  manner,  gettiog  the  best 
possible  results  from  paper.  Ink.  and  lllua- 
tratlons, 

I  know  the  theory  and 
practice  of  advertising— what 
medium  to  use  and  what 
language  to  speak  to  win  tha 
confidence  of  the  people  I 
want  to  reach. 

I  know  what  kind  of  paper  an*  niustra.- 
tlons  to  use.  how  to  buy  them  economically 
and  am  familiar  with  every  mechanical  rtep 
In  the  production  of  largo  mall  order  cata- 
logues, broadsidea  or  publication  advertlfe- 
'^^^^^•^J^  '^"'t  a  matter  of  GUBSSVi'ORK 
-it's  CERTAIN  KNOWT.EDGE  gained  by 
actually  "going  through  Ui«  mUl  "  tlm* 
and  time  again. 


l^^^  Salesmanship 

OAPACTTT-  

Have  the  knack  of  WAfllnjr  tirnTORn  R  ril» 
of  work  Quickly— and  having  I]  right  when 
1  cet  through.  Can  *y8tematlzo  a  dcpert- 
ment  In  a  way  to  ellnilntU©  lort  motion. 

EXECX-TIVE  ABILITY- 

Can  buT.d  up  an  orKanlr.atloB  asd  fet  th» 
mo«it  out  of  It.  Not  a  elave  driver,  but  liRvo 
the  qun!Uy  of  gettiiig  people  to  work  be- 
cauF^  they  WANT  to  work.  Enthusiastic 
e^san-iple  Is  the  only  whip  needed.  I  am 
proud  of  the  loyalty  and  enlhuiiasm i>f  my 
prc6*nt  corpgoJ^'^'^f"*-*- 

CHARACTER— 
My  IdoalB  are  hlgh-T  beUeT«  tbat  «i«  T»eat 

a  man  can  be  In  thia  wort*  Is  a  MAN.  I. 
will  rot  permit  associations,  habits,  orbur- 
roundlncs  to  provent  rr.o  from  remaining 
one.  Am  temperate,  momi.  b^althy.  M»d 
encrgotlc.  and  will  be  found  on  Iba  Joto 
ftll  tbe  time  ^ 

IXMPERA  MB>~r- 

EircD  and  well  bal&nced.  Cnn  wortt  hand 
In  hand  wuh  other  members  of  the  orgao- 
ization.  give  them  the  best  that  U  In  mft 
and  cot  the  bent  In  return. 

REM  f^  ER  ATTON— 

You  will  realize  that  a  main  of  th«  cairbet 
Indicated  cannot  b«  secured  at  a  low  prlc*. 
But  reiueniber  that  the  V/VLLE  of  an  »m- 
r>if>vB  19  not  cRueed  by  the  amount  you  daj 
R  m  but  by  thi  QUA UTY  OF  SlfRvfcE 
YOU  GET  TKOM  HIM  The  salary  1  re- 
quire Is  strictly  in  lino  with  p}y,^f'^\l\^««, 
•xDtrlence.  and  abilHy  acd  1  WiUL. luAlLN 
E\^Ky  CEMT  OF  IT. 

FINALLY— 

1    have    tried  to  my   MOOBSTLT  that 

•which  must  be  paid  to  command  vour  atl«n« 
tlon  The  Impfe»5l«n  you  will  form  on 
meeting  ino  le  iliai  lb<;re  ts  about  me  noUx- 
Ine  of  the  bruKgart  or  "  lour  flusher." 

I  am  absolutely  SURE  of 
MYSELF-I  know  my  busi- 
ness THOROUGHLY,  and  If  I 
UNDERTAKE  to  dlrocl  your 
adverilslng  I  vvlll  make  It 
SUCCESSFUU 

XKTERVIE'WS— 

Wher*  poiudblo  wottW  prefer  tompottn- 
■ulrers  pareonally.   and   will  bo  pleaee*  to 

{rrange  lutervlew  to  i>ult  your  oonvenjence. 
f  too  far  away,  win  etibmU  ftll  eeontlAliac 
tonnatlon  by  letter. 

This  last  ad  appeared  in  the  Chicago  Sunday  Tribune. 
It  contains  about  173  Unes  and  cost  $43  for  one  insertion. 

"Pretty  lon^  and  pretty  expensive  ad,"  you  say. 


Selling  Personality  117 

But  look  at  the  results.  It  brought  iu  sixteen  replies, 
making  the  cost  per  reply  about  $2.69  each. 

Consider  for  a  moment  the  quality  of  these  replies. 
This  number  included  three  of  the  largest  mail-order  con- 
cerns in  the  country,  one  in  Chicago  and  two  in  New  York. 
There  were  two  from  good,  live  manufacturing  concerns, 
one  from  parties  contemplating  a  chain  of  about  one  hun- 
dred drug  stores  throughout  the  country,  and  other 
promising  offers. 

This  is  a  remarkable  testimonial  to  the  effectiveness  of 
a  "Position  Wanted"  ad. 

Naturally  you  cannot  expect  a  flood  of  inquiries  in  re 
sponse  to  your  advertisements. 

But  every  answer  you  get  will  be  from  a  corporation 
which  really  wants  the  tjnpe  of  man  you  have  described 
in  your  ad. 

You  will  be  dealing  with  men  who  mean  business. 

And  that  is  the  only  kind  you  can  do  business  with. 

Personal  Acquaintance 

Friendship  is  an  interchange  of  values. 

It  cannot  be  otherwise. 

Consequently  one  of  the  biggest  assets  a  fellow  can  have 
is  a  wide  acquaintance  among  worth-wliile  men. 


118  Salesmanship 

Building  on  the  premise  that  you  have  such  an  acquain- 
tance, the  question  is  how  to  put  it  to  work  to  best  advan- 
tage in  this  connection. 

Whether  or  not  you  can  use  your  personal  acquaintances 
successfully  in  locating  a  position  is  largely  a  matter  of 
whether  you  broach  the  subject  in  a  negative  or  a  pos- 
itive mamier. 

Here 's  what  I  mean. 

Nothing  succeeds  like  success. 

By  the  same  token,  nothing  fails  faster  than  failure. 

WTien  you  say,  ''John,  I've  lost  my  job.  Wish  you'd 
help  me  get  another,"  or  ''I'm  going  to  quit.  Do  you 
know  of  anything?"  you  are  employing  negative  sug- 
gestion of  the  most  destructive  sort.  You  are  putting 
yourself  in  a  position  where  you  are  almost  certain  not 
to  get  help. 

For  it's  human  nature  instinctively  to  draw  away  from 
the  man  who  needs  help. 

Do  you  remember  Tom  Sawyer  and  the  job  of  white- 
washing the  fence — how  he  made  the  other  boys  pay  him 
for  the  pnvilege  (?)  of  doing  his  work? 

That's  sound  psychology;  it's  good  business. 

That  is  the  method  to  use  in  making  your  acquaintances 
find  a  new  position  for  you. 


Selling  Personality  119 

Edwards,  Traffic  Manager  for  a  large  company,  had  been 
released  very  suddenly  through  no  fault  of  his  own. 

Two  of  his  acquaintances  were  men  of  decided  influence 
among  New  York  corporations. 

His  relations  with  them  had  been  close  and  he  felt  cer- 
tain that  they  could,  if  they  would,  immediately  place 
him. 

He  called  upon  the  first  man;  without  preliminaries,  he 
started  talking: 

"Bankes,  the  Oil  Products  Company  let  me  go  yes- 
terday. I've  got  to  get  a  position  pretty  soon. 
Don't  want  to  stay  idle." 

At  this  point  the  atmosphere  of  the  room  began  to  get 
very,  very  chilly.  His  listener  was  getting  the  negative 
suggestion  of  failure  and  it  was  having  its  destructive 
effect.  To  get  rid  of  Edwards  he  promised  to  be  on  the 
lookout  for  something  but  the  promise  was  obviously  in- 
sincere. 

Edwards  was  a  thinker.  He  realized  that  he  had  made 
a  mistake  and  decided  not  to  double  on  his  tracks. 

After  twenty-four  hours  of  careful  calculation  and  plan- 
ning he  dropped  in  on  his  second  influential  friend. 

He  was  in  very  much  of  a  hurry;  enthusiasm  shone  out 
of  his  eyes  and  his  words  were  crisp  and  curt : 

"Just  dropped  in  for  a  second,  Heatley.  I  knew 
you'd  be  glad  to  hear  that  I've  left  the  Oil  Prod- 
ucts Company  and  I  wanted  to  tell  you  personally. " 


120  Salesmanship 

His  listener  warmed  right  up.  As  he  pretended  to  rise 
to  leave,  Heatley  pulled  him  back  in  his  chair.  ''But, 
Edwards,  what  are  you  going  to  do?" 

Edwards  smiled  mysteriously: 

' '  You  ask  me  what  I  'm  going  to  do  1  Do  you  realize 
that  in  the  last  year  I  handled  the  traffic  problems 
of  the  OU  Products  Company  in  such  a  manner  that 
their  directors  estimated  the  cash  saving  on  ship- 
ments at  $65,000?  And — against  that  saving,  I  drew 
a  salary  of  exactly  $4,000.  Gave  'em  back  way  over 
$15  cash  for  every  hundred  cents  they  paid  me. '  * 

And  along  he  talks  in  this  strain,  building  up  through 
inference  the  positive  suggestion  lq  Heatley 's  mind  that 
here  is,  indeed,  a  valuable  man. 

Edwards'  abiUty  as  Traffic  Exx>ert  connects  up  in  Heat- 
ley's  brain  with  the  many  industries  he  is  in  touch  with 
where  the  handling  of  freight  is  a  big  item. 

He  would  be  doing  any  corporation  a  favor  by  securing 
this  man's  services  for  it.    He  speaks: 

"Edwards,  wiU  you  make  me  a  promise?" 

Possibly  he  will.    What  is  it? 

"Don't  make  any  arrangements  to  take  a  position 
ttutil  you  hear  from  me. ' ' 

"But,"  Edwards  expostulates,  *'I  have  some  matters  I 
must  a<?t  on  almost  immediately. ' ' 


SeUmg  Fersoiudity  121 

*  *  Can  you  give  two  days  ? ' '  Heatley  asks. 

''Well — yes,"  answers  Edwards,  and  Heatley  thanks  him 
for  the  *' favor." 

As  a  result  of  this  interview,  Heatley  "breaks  his  neck" 
to  see  certain  corporation  heads  he  is  anxious  to  curry 
favor  with. 

And  as  a  special  favor  he  secured  Edwards'  services  for 
one  of  them  at  a  forty-five  hundred  dollar  salary  to  start. 

The  President  of  the  concern  thanks  Heatley  for  secur- 
ing Edwards  for  him. 

Heatley  thanks  Edwards  for  waiting  and  for  accepting  a 
position  with  his  man. 

And  Edwards  thanks  himself;  he  has  made  the  other  fel- 
low "whitewash  his  fence"  and  be  grateful  for  the  priv- 
ilege of  so  doing. 

Do  you  get  the  idea? 

First  canvass  over  your  list  of  acquaintances  for  the  men 
who  are  in  a  position  to  help  you. 

Don't  go  to  them  as  a  supplicant  for  favor. 

But  by  inference  and  direct  use  of  the  power  of  sug- 
gestion make  them  feel  that  it  is  a  privilege  for  them  to 
aict  as  middleman  in  placing  your  services. 


122  Salesmanship 

It's  all  in  your  iiueutal  attitude  and  in  tne  way  you  ap- 
proach tlie  thing. 

Your  acquaintance  is  worth  just  what  you  make  it  worth. 

The  Cibcular  Letter 

Rig-ht  past  the  reception  clerk — 

Right  into  the  private  office  of  the  man  you  want  to  talk 
to— 

Goes  your  letter. 

Uncle  Sam  quickly  and  surely  takes  a  piece  of  mail 
through  red  tape — the  roug'h  barriers  which  men  find  it 
hard  to  pass  ia  person. 

Sit  dowu  and  spend  an  hour  or  two  with  the  telephone 
directory  or  with  a  list  of  the  industries  which  are  pro- 
spective buyers  of  your  service. 

Make  a  list  of  all  the  concerns  which  might  need  you — 
the  ones  that  you  would  be  willing  to  work  for. 

When  youj  list  is  complete,  'phone  every  one  of  them, 
or  in  some  way  get  the  name  of  the  man  who  luis  the 
"yes"  or  ''no"  of  your  case  in  his  hands. 

In  writing  the  firm,  address  your  letter  to  the  attention 
of  this  man. 

Now  when  you  know  what  concerns  you  are  going  to 
write  and  whom  to  address  in  those  corporations,  the  big 


Selling  Personality  123 

question  is :  What  kind  of  a  letter  shall  I  write  to  secure 
an  interview? 

Remember,  your  letter  is  unsolicited.  You  are  going  out 
substantially  to  create  a  market  for  your  services  ^Ai\\ 
one  of  these  concerns. 

So— -your  letter  must  be  forceful,  strong,  convincing.  It 
must  rouse,  in  a  certain  percentage  of  cases  at  least,  a 
desire  within  the  man  who  receives  it  to  talk  to  you  in 
person. 

There  *s  one  big  thing  in  your  favor. 

Your  letter  is  going  to  the  right  man  and  a  two-cent 
stamp  is  insurance  that  the  first  paragraph  will  be  read 
at  any  rate. 

So — your  first  paragraph  must  be  strong  enough  to  carry 
him  thi'ough  the  balance  of  your  letter. 

And  the  balance  of  the  letter  must  be  interesting  enough 
to  make  him  want  to  talk  to  you  personally. 

The  one  danger  here  lies  in  making  your  letter  too  long. 

A  good  way  to  overcome  that  is  by  making  the  letter 
consist  of  two  parts:  first  sheet — short  letter;  second 
sheet — references,  particulars  of  training,  former  em- 
ployers, etc. — in  short,  the  details  of  your  training  and 
experience  which  cinch  the  statements  in  your  letter. 

Here  are  two  examples  of  the  unsolicited  letter  in  \^ddely 
different  fields. 


124  Salesmanship 

Both  have  proved  result-producers  for  the  men  who  wrote 
them. 

LETTEE  1 
Unsolicited  application  for  stenograpliic  position. 
As  an  enclosure  with  this  letter  went  a  list  showing 
apphcant's  schooling,  previous  experience,  age,  and 
references.  This  letter  went  to  fifty  concerns  and 
brought  60  per  cent  returns. 

Mr,  Maxtvell  Hart, 

Of  The  Hart  Packing  Company, 

Omaha,  Nebraska. 

My  deae  Sir: 

This  should  interest  you. 

I  can  take  dictation  at  an  average  rate  of  eighty  words  per 
minute.  This  is  far  faster  than  most  folks  talk.  My  notes 
are  accurate.  In  dictating  to  me,  you  do  not  have  to 
repeat  nor  do  I  bring  back  letters  to  ask  wliat  words  were. 

My  speed  on  the  machine — everyday  working  speed  I 
mean — is  seventy  words  a  minute.  Stenographers  as  a 
rule  average  about  sixty.  This  means  that  I  can  turn  out 
at  least  15  per  cent  more  letters  per  day.  Past  experience 
has  shown  that  my  accuracy  brings  that  up  to  about 
25  per  cent. 

As  a  starting  point,  I  am  willing  to  go  to  work  for 
eighteen  dollars  per  week.  The  enclosed  sheet  will  give 
you  an  idea  of  my  previous  training  and  experience. 
You  wUl  note  that  I  have  recently  been  connected  with 
a  concern  in  your  line. 

I  do  not  ask  you  to  take  me  on  trust. 

Phone  or  write  and  I  wiU  come  in  any  morning  you  say, 
take  your  morning's  dictation,  write  your  letters,  and 
leave  the  verdict  to  you. 

Please  let  me  have  an  early  reply. 

Very  truly  yonrs, 

1845  Hiunboldt  Avenue 
Phone  Gray  1966 


Selling  Personality  125 

LETTEE  2 

Unsolicited  circular  letter  for  position  as  a  sales- 
man. This  letter  went  to  eight  concerns  and 
brought  seven  replies.  With  it  was  enclosed  a 
statement  of  sales  and  average  prices  obtained  for 
merchandise  during  the  previous  twelve-month 
period. 

Mr.  Tkos.  Page, 
Sales  Manager, 
The  Key  Company, 
New  York,  N.  Y. 

Deab  Sie: 

Enclosed  find  a  record  of  sales  for  the  last  twelve  months 
made  personally  by  me  in  New  York  State  for  a  com- 
petitor of  yours. 

Against  this  gross  sales  figure,  I  drew  a  salary  of  $4,000 
plus  my  expenses,  which  ran  $1,800.  This  $5,800  total 
makes  selling  cost  to  my  house  8  per  cent. 

I  have  no  complaint  to  make  against  the  management  of 
my  concern  or  their  treatment  of  me. 

But  as  a  salesman,  I  am  paid  according  to  what  I  earn. 
Consequently  I  owe  it  to  myself  to  make  a  change  imme- 
diately to  some  manufacturer  whose  product  is  keeping 
pace  with  demand.  As  I  am  thii'ty-three  years  old,  I  have 
many  active  years  ahead  of  me  and  want  to  spend  them 
where  they  will  bring  back  largest  returns. 

Hence  this  letter. 

If  the  facts  as  presented  herein  interest  you,  drop  a  line 
to  Lock  Box  42,  New  York  City,  and  I  will  'phono  you 
for  a  personal  interview. 

Awaiting  your  reply,  I  am 

Truly  yonrs, 
Lock  Box  42 
New  York  City 


126  Salesmanship 

Now  as  a  matter  of  fact  neither  of  the  men  who  wrote 
the  letters  reproduced  above  had  anything  to  offer  over 
and  above  what  hundreds  of  others  possessed- 
Don 't  misunderstand  me.  They  didn't  misrepresent — 
they  didn't  overstate — but  they  did  dress  up  their  wares 
in  the  most  attractive  possible  form  before  they  started 
out  looking  for  a  market. 

And  that  is  the  secret  of  the  whole  thing — making  the 
most  of  what  you've  got — putting  it  up  from  the  em- 
ployer's standpoint,  not  from  the  ''how  good  a  man  I 
am ' '  but  from  the  ' '  how  valuable  I  '11  be  to  you ' '  angle. 

The  Impobtance  of  Systematic,  Persistent  Effobt 

If  you  want  a  position,  try  to  find  one.  Don't  drop  back 
and  wdsh.  Wishes  never  brought  anything  except  head- 
aches and  regrets. 

Act! 

Pnll  every  wire — every  string;  systematically  organize 
your  efforts ;  utilize  every  possible  channel  through  which 
a  position  may  come  to  you  or  you  may  go  to  one. 

If  you're  out  of  work,  make  locating  a  position  your  busi- 
ness until  you  land. 

Pulling  power  proves  the  worth  of  a  draft  horse,  but 
pushing  power  is  the  test  of  man. 

The  efforts  you  make  for  yourself  will  prove  your  worth 
to  the  employer. 


Selling  Personality  127 

The  Personal  Inteeview 

Practically  all  the  channels  through  which  we  locate  posi- 
tions lead  up  to  one  thing,  namely,  a  personal  interview 
with  the  prospective  employer. 

They  are  like  inquiries  from  advertisements.  It  takes 
the  personal  touch  to  turn  them  into  sales. 

This  little  book  might  fitly  be  termed  ' '  Landing  the  Posi- 
tion," simply  because  that  is  what  it  should  do. 

In  the  first  place,  walk  into  the  man 's  ofiice  with  the  firm 
determination  to  work  as  hard  and  as  intelligently  to  land 
the  position  as  you  will  to  hold  it. 

Let  this  be  evidenced  by  your  voice — your  manner — 
everything  about  you. 

You  have  just  one  task  to  perform  before  the  position  is 
landed — 

You  must  convince  your  prospective  employer  that  you 
are  the  man  he  is  looking  for — that  you  will  be  a  distinct 
and  valuable  addition  to  his  business. 

Divide  your  interview  into  three  divisions  just  as  the 
salesman  does  his  sale  of  merchandise : 

The  approach,  the  demonstration,  and  the  close. 

In  the  approach — the  first  few  minutes  of  your  interview, 
try  to  get  your  man  talking;  try  to  get  a  line  on  the  sit- 
uation which  will  enable  you  closely  to  connect  and  iden- 


128  Salesmanship 

tify  in  his  mind  your  particular  qualifications  for  the 
position  you  are  seeking. 

When  the  first  preliminaries  are  over — when  it  is  up  to 
you  to  talk — make  your  demonstration. 

Tell  him,  in  a  few,  well-chosen,  effective  words,  your 
experience,  your  training,  your  qualifications,  the  things 
that  make  you  apply,  the  reasons  why  you  feel  confident 
of  making  good.  Try  to  adapt  and  fit  your  past  expe- 
rience and  training  to  the  requirements  before  you. 

Forget  that  *'I  am  looking  for  opportunity"  talk. 

An  understanding  on  that  score  counts  for  nothing  and 
your  air — your  manner — you  yourself  wUl  get  the  im- 
pression across  far  better  than  the  spoken  word. 

Besides,  you  know  that  opportunity  is  there  or  you 
wouldn't  be  applying.  And  once  you've  landed — once 
you're  in,  if  you  don't  make  or  get  your  chance  it's  your 
own  fault.  The  fact  that  the  man  who  hired  you  said 
he  would  give  you  a  chance  doesn't,  won't,  and  can't  add 
one  doUar  to  your  salary. 

And — the  minute  you  feel  that  your  man  is  favorably 
impressed,  stop  selling  yourself;  start  settling  the  de- 
tails; say  something  like  this,  "When  do  you  want  me 
to  start?" 

In  other  words,  the  minute  you  feel  that  the  time  is  ripe 
don't  ask  him  if  he  wants  you,  but  go  right  ahead  and 
start  settling  the  details  just  as  if  he  had  said  verbally, 
"Yes." 


Selling  Personality  129 

This  method  sells  personality  just  as  surely  as  it  does 
merchandise. 

WnonNG  Promotion 

First  of  all,  let's  have  an  honest  basis — a  clear  under- 
standing to  work  from. 

This  world  is  full  to  overflowing  with  fellows  who,  deep 
down  in  their  hearts,  have  the  secret  feeling  that  they  are 
square  pegs  in  round  holes — that  their  peculiar  qualifi- 
cations would  bring  a  higher  return  elsewhere. 

And  no  matter  how  often  they  change  employers  or  occu- 
pations that  feeling  remains  the  same. 

Why? 

Simply  because  it  is  a  fallacy — rank  nonsense — ^bom  of 
whims  and  idle  fancies — a  restless  nature  and  usually  a 
distinct  touch  of  year-round  laziness. 

The  far-off  fields  always  look  green,  but  when  we  get 
close  they  prove  to  be  mirages. 

When  we  are  driving  on  one  side  of  the  road  the  other 
half  always  looks  smooth.  But  a  change  shows  us  we 
were  mistaken. 

The  other  fellow's  job  is  no  easier  than  yours. 

Newton  took  six  pages  to  explain  the  law  of  gravitation. 

The  schoolboy  says  it  in  six  words,  '*Wh.at  goes  up  must 
come  down." 


130  Salesmanship 

I  could  take  sixty  pages  to  prove  that  life  has  no  soft 
snaps,  hut  live  words  tell  it  just  as  well:  ''To  win  yoa 
must  work/'  And  that's  as  sound  a  principle  as  the  law 
of  gravity  itself. 

There  are  no  square  pegs  in  round  holes. 

If  the  big  man  finds  himself  in  a  round  hole  he  is  "round" 
— in  a  square  one  he's  ''square."  He  adapts  himself  to 
his  surroundings  and  their  demands. 

Senator  Dorn  talks  this  morning  to  a  crowd  of  ditch-dig- 
gers standing  ankle  deep  in  wet  clay. 

At  twelve  o'clock  sharp  he  addresses  the  Society  Wom- 
en 's  Political  Uplift  League. 

At  three  p.  m.  he  has  a  conference  with  the  German 
Ambassador.    He  fits  himself  to  his  surroundings. 

"Square  pegs  in  round  holes" — once  and  for  all — get 
this :  Jobs  are  not  built  to  fit  men — but — big  men  and 
potential  big  ones  mold  themselves  to  fit  their  jobs, 
whatever  they  may  be. 

And  the  fellow  whose  words  are  set  to  the  tune  of  "The 
Force  of  Circumstances  Holding  Him  Down"  is  entitled 
to  about  as  much  sympathy  as  the  small  boy  hanging  on 
the  iron  ring  in  a  hitching  post  with  both  hands  and 
crying  wildly  to  his  mother  to  help  him  break  loose. 

Look  here ! 

"Opportunity  knocks  once  at  every  man's  door." 


Selling  Personality  131 

But  the  fellow  who  would  have  you  believe  that  if  you 
don't  grab  opportunity  just  the  second  it  looks  at  you 
it  is  a  lifetime's  loss  is  just  a  plain,  ''plunib"  fool. 

Why? 

Simply  because  there  is  no  law  of  God  or  man  which  pre- 
vents us  from  knocking-  at  opportunity's  door  just  as 
many  times  as  we  please. 

The  man  who  knocks  often  enough  is  going  to  find  oppor- 
tunity at  home  one  of  these  fine  days;  the  door  is  going 
to  open.    And — if  he  is  prepared,  he  wins. 

I've  known  too  many  men  who  have  made  and  lost  and 
won  back  again  half  a  dozen  fortunes  in  a  score  of  years 
to  admit  that  the  future  holds  one  whit  less  in  store  for 
the  individual  than  he  expects  from  it. 

You  're  in  line  for  opportunity  right  now ;  keep  your  eyes 
open;  if  it's  in  sight,  it's  in  reach. 

Let  yours  be  the  hands  that  grasp  it. 

The  trouble  with  most  of  us  is  that  while  we  want  suc- 
cess and  dream  of  it  and  envy — yes,  en^y — the  fellows 
who  attain  it,  we  are  not  willing  to  pay  the  price. 

It  takes  work — hard,  persistent,  intelligent  work. 

Chronology  gives  each  day  twenty-four  hours. 

Eight  hours  to  sleep.    You're  getting  your  sleep  all  right. 


132  Sales  niafhship 

Eight  hours  to  play.  Chances  are  you're  doing  your 
playing. 

And — eight  hours  to  work. 

But — are  you  really  working  eight  hours? 

Have  you  brought  concentration  to  the  point  that  when 
you  start  your  duties  in  the  morning  you  forget  every- 
thing else — get  right  down  and  put  every  bit  of  latent 
and  developed  energy  you  have  in  you  to  doing  the  things 
you  have  to  do — doing  them  better  than  can  be  expected 
— then — looking  around  for  something  more? 

Here's  Charley  Spink.  He  wants  promotion — wants  it 
bad. 

He  has  certain  specified  daily  duties.  He  is  an  excellent 
clerk. 

He  can,  if  he  sets  his  mind  to  it,  do  his  whole  day's  work 
in  six  hours. 

But  does  he? 

Not  on  your  life.  If  he  did,  they'd  saddle  something  else 
on  him.  So  he  stretches  what  to  him  is  a  six-hour  task 
over  an  eight-hour  day  and  then  wonders  why  the  boss 
fails  to  recognize  his  sterling  worth. 

Charley  hasn't  yet  grasped  the  great  truth  that  we  get 
paid  first  in  tliis  world  for  what  we  do — then  for  what 
we  know.    And  the  more  we  do  the  more  we  know. 


SeUmg  PersorKiJ/ity  138 

If  Spink  got  a  10  per  cent  salary  increase  he'd  be  happy. 

And  yet  by  exerting  his  faculties — proving  his  ability  by 
"  doing  the  eight-hour  task  in  six,  he  would  automatically 
increase  his  capacity  and  the  volume  of  his  work  two 
hours  per  day — 25  per  cent. 

What  employer  would  fail  to  reward  a  25  per  cent  in- 
crease in  work  with  a  10  per  cent  increase  in  pay? 

It's  good  business  economics,  and  in  spite  of  the  foolish 
ideas  about  favoritism,  etc,  business  today  is  conducted 
on  business  lines. 

The  first  few  years  of  our  business  life  we  spend  learn- 
ing, and  upon  what  we  learn  depends  what  we  earn. 

To  earn  more,  learn  more. 

Learn  more  in  two  ways. 

Learn  more,  first,  by  increasing  your  ability  to  do  your 
stated  task  correctly  and  surely,  thereby  putting  more  , 
hours  in  your  working  day. 

And  the  more  hours  you  put  in  your  working  day,  the 
bigger  the  chance  you  have  to  learn  more  about  the  busi- 
ness you're  in. 

Then — sacrifice  25  per  cent  of  your  eight  play  hours — 
your  leisure  time.  Prepare  yourself  for  the  bigger  things 
by  studying — by  gaining  a  broad  knowledge. 

Study  law ;  study  business  economics ;  study  accountancy ; 
study  anything  that  may  in  any  way  have  a  bearing  upon 


134  Salesmanship 

business,  not  particular!}^  your  business,  but  any  busi- 
ness— all  business. 

Study  broadens  a  man.  It  is  the  helping  hand  that  lifts 
him  beyond  his  everyday  tasks  and  opens  the  gates  ahead. 

The  plowboy  of  today  is  the  farmer  of  tomorrow.  A  lit- 
tle study  of  modern  agricultural  methods  may  make  him 
a  bigger  suc<;ess  the  first  year  he  runs  the  farm  than  his 
father  was  when  he  quit  for  good. 

Herbert  Kaufman  attributes  the  following  ten  rules  to 
an  old  wagon-builder  named  Cyrus  Simmons,  but  I  credit 
them  to  Kaufman. 

Simmons  built  wagons  and  a  city  at  the  same  time  and 
every  new  employe  who  entered  his  plant  had  the  first 
step  to  a  partnership  in  the  shape  of  these  ten  rules 
handed  him  on  a  printed  card: 

Rule         I  Don't  lie.    It  wastes  my  time  and  yours.    I'm 

sure  to  catch  you  in  the  end,  and  that's  the 

wrong  end. 
Rule        II  Watch   your   work — not   the    clock.      A   long 

day 's  work  makes  a  long  day  short  and  a  short 

day's  work  makes  my  face  long. 
Rule      III  Give  me  more  than  I  expect  and  I'll  pay  you 

more  than  you  expect.    I  can  afford  to  increase 

your  pay  if  you'll  increase  my  profits. 
Rule      IV  You  owe  so  much  to  yourself  that  you  can't 

afford  to  owe  anybody  else.    Keep  out  of  debt 

or  out  of  my  employ. 
Rule        V  Dishonesty  is  never  an  accident.     Good  men 

like  good  women  can't  see  temptation  when 

they  meet  it. 


Selling  Personality  135 

Rule  VI  Mind  your  own  business  and  in  time  you'll 
have  a  business  of  your  own  to  mind. 

Rule  VII  Don 't  do  anything  here  which  hurts  your  self- 
respect.  The  employe  who  is  willing  to  steal 
for  me  is  capable  of  stealing  from  me. 

Ride  VIII  It's  none  of  my  business  what  you  do  at  night, 
but  if  dissipation  affects  what  you  do  the  next 
day,  and  you  do  half  as  much  as  I  demand, 
you  11  last  half  as  long  as  you  hope. 

Ride  IX  Don't  tell  me  what  I'd  like  to  hear  but  what 
I  ought  to  hear.  I  don't  want  a  valet  to  my 
vanity  but  I  need  lots  of  them  for  my  dollars. 

Rule  X  Don't  kick  if  I  kick.  If  you're  worth  while 
correcting  you're  worth  while  keeping.  I 
don't  waste  time  cutting  specks  out  of  rotten 
apples. 

Irrespective  of  their  origin,  the  human  equation  of  busi- 
ness is  covered  as  well  in  these  ten  rules  as  in  any  ten 
hooks  I've  ever  read. 

They  hit  both  classes — the  men  who  direct  the  work  as 
well  as  the  fellows  who  actually  do  the  job. 

One  significant  sign — one  sure  cure  for  discouragement 
or  the  blues — lies  in  the  fact  that  ninety-nine  executives 
out  of  every  hundred  are  graduates  from  the  ranks. 

They  have  paced  the  same  path  you  are  treading. 

And  the  fact  that  there  is  no  royal  road — no  ten-minute 
short  cut — to  highest  honors  in  business  does  credit  to 
the  men  who  have  lifted  themselves  and  holds  forth 
encouragement  to  those  who  want  to. 


136  Salesnuinship 

For  the  broad  highwiiy  to  business  success  has  felt  the 
feet — every  step  of  the  way — of  every  man  who  gained 
the  goal.  They've  all  traveled  it — every  last  one  of  them. 
Some  progress  more  rapidly  than  others;  many  fall  by 
the  wayside;  the  majority  never  g-et  beyond  the  start. 
But  the  road  is  there — wide  and  plain  and  straight — for 
you  to  follow. 

And  your  speed  and  your  progress  depend  upon  you  your- 
self. 

Promotion  Based  on  Merit 

Let's  go  back  to  the  beginning  and  take  the  trip  together. 

Let's  see  what  we  have  to  go  up  against  and  how  we're 
going  to  handle  it 

We  can 't  measure  the  steps  but  we  can  estimate  the  dis- 
tance and  count  the  milestones. 

Let's  start  with  the  new  office  boy  and  end  up  with  the 
president. 

You're  somewhere  in  between  right  now;  you'll  recognize 
i/onr  own  individual  starting  point  as  we  go  along. 

Joe,  the  new  office  boy,  wants  one  dollar  a  week  added 
to  his  four  dollar  salary. 

He  is  worth  the  extra  dollar. 

But  it  is  harder  for  him  to  get  it  than  it  is  for  Dunne, 
the  Bookkeeper,  to  secure  a  five  dollar  a  week  boost. 


Selling  Personality  187 

Yet  Meachem,  the  Auditor,  receives  a  twenty  dollar  a 
iveek  advance  with  about  one-tenth  the  resistance  that 
Dunne,  the  Bookkeeper,  meets  with  on  his  five  dollar 
request; 

You  know  that  this  is  a  fact. 

Why  is  it  that  the  men  who  actually  do  the  work  find  it 
more  diflBcult  to  get  a  just  reward  for  their  efforts  than 
the  fellows  who  direct  their  labors? 

For  two  reasons.    Mark  them  well. 

First  of  all,  workers  are  more  numerous  than  executives. 
Their  duties  are  simpler.  They  are  easier  to  replace.  The 
less  important  a  worker's  job,  the  lower  is  the  salary, 
the  harder  it  is  to  get  a  raise,  the  easier  it  is  for  the  em- 
ployer to  find  a  new  man. 

And  second,  the  higher  the  executive's  position,  the 
greater  is  his  earning  power,  the  more  difficult  it  is  to 
secure  a  satisfactory  substitute.  Consequently  corpora- 
tions extend  themselves  to  keep  satisfied  the  men  they 
know  it  would  be  most  difficult  to  replace. 

It  is  a  fact  that  but  few  men  fully  realize  that  the  higher 
they  go  the  surer  they  are  of  a  just  return  for  their 
efforts. 

The  minute  you  begin  to  bear  responsibiUty — the  min- 
ute your  efforts  begin  to  produce  returns  multiplied  by 
the  work  of  others  carrying  out  your  ideas — that  minute 
you  will  find  that  the  walls  of  salary  limitations  begin 
to  crumble  and  fall. 


138  Salesmanship 

Asking  for  Promotion 

But  in  the  meantime  tlie  question  arises,  "How  is  the 
worker — the  fellow  in  the  ranks — the  semi-executive — the 
man  who  really  needs  the  money  most — going  to  get  it?" 

I  am  going  to  repeat.    It  simply  can 't  be  avoided. 

First  of  all,  make  yourself  tvorth  more. 

Then  ask  for  it. 

Asking  for  more  money  in  the  right  way  when  you've 
got  the  facts  to  back  your  request  is  one  of  the  surest 
ways  of  ** selling  your  employer" — of  calling  his  atten- 
tion to  the  steadily  increasing  value  of  your  wares. 

Remember  you  're  still  a  long  way  from  the  throne ;  your 
work  and  its  value  are  not  as  yet  self-evident.  They 
won't  be  until  you  pass  the  milestone  that  marks  your 
leaving  the  masses  and  entering  the  classes. 

The  Noise-No  Chain  Company  is  offered  a  contract  for 
three  thousand  special  chains  for  use  in  connection  with 
electric  automobile  starters,  but  one  condition  is  attached : 

Delivery  must  be  in  four  days — an  almost  impossible  task. 

The  President  calls  in  Roche,  his  Factory  Superintend- 
ent.   ''Can  it  be  done?" 

The  parts  are  all  in  stock.  It  is  a  question  of  putting 
them  together.  Roche  gets  Hagermau,  Foreman  of  his 
Assembly  Room,  on  the  office  'phone. 


Selling  Personality  139 

The  contract  is  accepted. 

Delivery  is  made  on  time. 

Now  where  is  the  credit  due? 

Primarily  to  the  hard,  earnest,  concentrated  efforts  of 
the  workmen  in  the  Assembly  Department. 

But  if  it  hadn't  been  for  the  driving  and  striving  of 
Hagerman,  the  Foreman,  the  chains  would  never  have 
been  delivered  on  time. 

Still  if  Roche,  the  Factory  Superintendent,  had  not  had 
the  foresight  and  judgment  to  have  picked  a  man  like 
Hagerman,  the  Assembly  Department  would  never  have 
been  in  shape. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  the  President  of  the  Noise-No  Chain 
Company  had  not  had  Roche,  who  found  men  like  Hager- 
man, who  organized  their  departments  so  efficiently,  the 
task  would  have  been  impossible. 

What's  all  this  about? 

Simply  to  make  you  realize  that  Roche,  the  Factory 
Superintendent,  in  this  particular  case  is  the  man  who 
gets  full  credit  for  the  job  from  the  President — the  man 
who  has  the  power  of  salary-raising. 

Roche  is  near  the  throne;  his  service  is  readily  recog- 
nized. 


140  Salesmanship 

The  other  fellows,  to  get  their  just  reward,  have  to  ask 
for  it 

You  may  say,  as  a  worker  in  the  ranks,  that  the  faitliful 
performance  of  your  duty — making  yourself  worth  more 
money — should,  through  your  employer's  sense  of  jus- 
tice and  fairness  alone,  win  promotion  for  you. 

But  I  say  that  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  you  are  the  all- 
important  subject  to  you  yourself,  you're  a  mighty  small 
cog  in  a  mighty  big  machine.  The  fellow  at  the  head  of 
your  business  has  other  matters  to  think  about.  There 
are  a  lot  of  men  between  you  and  him  and  in  these  days 
of  strife  and  drive  and  highly  concentrated  effort  it's  up 
to  you  to  make  the  move  instead  of  nursing  a  grievance 
because  your  ability  isn't  so  self-evident  to  the  men  above 
you  that  they  reward  it  of  their  own  volition. 

Look  here!  There  are  too  many  cares  and  responsi- 
bilities between  your  employer's  eyes  and  your  increase 
in  value  to  expect  him  to  see  for  himself  without  having 
the  matter  called  to  his  attention. 

Make  up  your  mind  once  and  for  all  that  you  have  got 
to  sell  the  proposition — to  make  the  move  yourself  and 
not  wait  for  the  other  fellow. 

YouVe  simply  got  to  deliver  before  you  receive.  You 
must  be  able  to  hjmdle  a  greater  responsibility  for  some 
time  before  you  tuitually  assume  it.  You  have  to  be 
worthy  of  more  pay  for  some  time  before  you  actually 
receive  it. 


Selling  Personality  141 

How  TO  Ask  foe  Peomotion 

Now  yon  can 't  come  right  out  in  so  many  words  and  talk 
your  wares,  like  a  merchandise  salesman.  You  can't  say, 
'*I  have  ability,"  "I  am  clever,"  "I  am  capable."  By 
all  means  say  it  to  yourself  but  don't  put  it  in  orders  at 
the  risk  of  winning  the  active  dislike  of  those  around  you. 
Self-praise  is  music  only  to  the  man  who  utters  it.  It  is 
discord  of  the  rankest  kind  in  the  ears  of  those  who 
hear  it. 

So — since  you  can't  actually  talk  your  wares  directly, 
you've  got  to  display  them.  Put  everything  you've  got  in 
your  show  window;  whenever  you  acquire  a  new  ability 
or  add  to  an  old  one,  put  it  in  the  window;  keep  it  in 
front  of  your  employer  so  he  will  at  all  times  see  for  him- 
self what  you  have. 

Like  the  child  who  wants  to  wind  the  watch  himself, 
people  in  this  world  invariably  prefer  to  find  out  for 
themselves.  Somehow  or  other  we  place  a  higher  value 
on  even  the  minor  things  we  discover  ourselves  than  on 
the  things  others  bring  us  which  are  often  many  times 
more  valuable.  So — through  suggestion,  display,  aggres- 
siveness, energy,  enthusiasm,  and  ability,  display  your 
wares;  arrange  them  so  that  your  employer  simply  can't 
help  finding  out  for  himself  that  you  are  an  exceptional 
man — a  ' '  comer. ' ' 

But  when  the  time  does  arrive  that  you  honestly  knoiv 
you  are  worth  more  money  and  have  been  for  some  time 
past,  by  all  means  sally  forth  and  sell  your  increase  in 
valuation. 


142  Salesmanship 

The  average  employer  resents  a  request  for  liigher  remu- 
neration simply  because  so  many  incompetent  men — the 
majority  of  them  in  fact — believe  that  they  are  under- 
paid and  ask  for  inci'eases  in  the  most  objectionable  pos- 
sible way. 

First  of  all,  get  your  facts  together.  Fully  convince  your- 
self that  you  are  worth  more  money  and  if  possible  get 
your  reasons  down  on  paper — in  black  and  white.  Put- 
ting it  down  with  a  pen  or  pencil  often  helps  to  dispel 
the  cloudy  mists  of  misleading  imagination. 

Bear  in  mind  that  the  wage  scale  of  the  business  uni- 
verse is  three  for  one.  The  man  who  receives  fifty  dol- 
lars a  week  must  return  his  emplo.yer  one  hundred  and 
fifty.  On  the  face  of  it  this  may  seem  unfair,  but  when 
you  analyze  a  little  it  is  eminently  reasonable.  Out  of 
the  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per  week  which  the 
fifty  dollar  man  makes  gross,  one-third  in  cash  goes  back 
to  him.  Another  third  goes  against  the  business  over- 
head— the  rent,  the  light,  the  equipment.  So — actually — 
for  ever}'  dollar  he  receives  himself,  the  full-value  em- 
ploye pays  his  employer  one  hundred  cents  gi'oss  profit. 
This  isn't  too  much  when  you  consider  the  investment 
the  employer  has  in  the  business  which  makes  the  em- 
ploye's position  possible. 

When  you  are  ready,  go  to  your  employer  as  one  business 
man  to  another. 

Don't  try  or  attempt  to  coerce,  dictate,  or  demand. 

You  are  tliere  to  gain  your  ends,  not  to  antagonize  the 
fellow  you  're  working  for.    Act  accordingly. 


Selling  Personality  143 

Present  your  proposition  as  a  business  situation  whicli 
you  want  to  call  his  attention  to. 

Take  that  attitude.    Maintain  it. 

As  examples  of  the  wrong  way  and  the  right  method. 

The  wrong  way  first. 

Jenks,  a  shipping  clerk,  is  worth  exactly  what  he  is 
receiving — eighteen  dollars  a  week.  Right  in  the 
middle  of  the  holiday  season,  when  his  department 
is  working  overtime,  he  goes  to  his  employer  some- 
thing like  this: 

"Mr.  Meeker,  I'm  working  overtime  every  night.  I 
am  only  getting  eighteen  dollars  a  week.  I  'ra  worth 
twenty  easy.  If  yoh  don't  give  it  to  me,  I'll  quit 
right  now." 

He  gets  his  twenty  a  week — gets  it  because  Meeker 
would  rather  pay  the  extru  two  dollars  than  be 
forced  to  break  in  a  new  man  during  the  holiday 
rush  of  shipments.  But  what  happens  after  the 
rush  is  over?  Jenks  gets  the  blue  envelope — is  dis- 
charged. He  employed  coercion ;  he  took  advantage 
of  a  situation.  He  failed  to  balance  against  his 
overtime  work  the  leisure  hours  which  came  his  way 
during  the  slack  season.  His  demand  and  his  pres- 
entation left  a  bad  taste  in  his  employer's  mouth 
which  only  a  new  man  could  counteract. 

Now  for  the  right  way.    Adams,  with  facts  and  figures 
well  in  hand,  goes  in.    He  talks  like  this : 


14:4  Salesmanship 

Adams:  "May  1  have  live  minutes  of  your  time,  Mr. 
Meeker?" 

Meelier:  "Certainly.    What  about?" 

Adams:  "Six  months  ago,  Mr.  Meeker,  Baugs  waij  sud- 
denly taken  sick.  Temporarily  I  took  over  his 
duties.  When  he  recovered,  he  accepted  a  new 
position,  but  I  continued  to  do  liis  work  in 
addition  to  my  own. 

I  don 't  want  you  to  relieve  me  of  his  work.  1  am 
glad  to  handle  both  jobs.  I  have  had  to  get  down 
an  hour  earlier  in  the  morning,  leave  an  hour 
later  at  night,  and  cut  down  my  luncheon  time 
thirty  minutes. 

But  hard  work  never  hurt  anybody.  It  agrees 
with  me  and  I  'm  a  better  man  for  it. 

My  salary  is  twenty -five  dollars  a  week;  his  was 
the  same. 

My  only  reason  for  bringing  the  matter  to  your 
attention,  Mr.  Meeker,  is  that  I  know  you  are  too 
busy  to  be  in  touch  with  details  like  this.  I  really 
feel  that  I  am  worth  a  nominal  increase  in  sjilary 
but  am  liere  simply  to  submit  the  facts  and  leave 
it  up  to  you  to  pass  on." 

Now  Adams  is  going  to  get  a  good  substantial  raise  and 
at  the  same  time  he  is  selling  himself — sowing  a  seed  in 
liis  employer's  mind  that  is  going  to  sprout  into  the 
feeling  that  Adams  is  a  capable  man — a  coming  man — 
a  man  to  watch  and  the  right  sort  on  top  of  it  all. 

Promotion  in  the  Higher  Positions 

In  connection  with  this,  a  final  thouglit  for  yon.  (Jood 
salesmanship  shows  and  proves  quality  before  asking  the 


Selling  Personality  145 

price.  Good  salesmanship  presents  the  goods  instead  of 
forcing"  them  down  the  buyer's  throat.  And  furthermore, 
when  all  is  said  and  done  the  buyer — tlie  employer — is 
the  most  important  man  in  the  transaction  because  the 
final  decision  is  in  his  hands.  And  the  seller  is  always 
subordinate  to  the  buyer.  Now  the  minute  a  man  leaves 
the  ranks  and  becomes  either  a  semi-executive  or  a  full- 
fledged  one,  two  things  happen.  Opportunity  multiplies 
itself.  And  his  ability  and  service  are  brought  so  much 
closer  to  his  employer's  eyes  that  the  necessity  for  asking 
increases  in  salary  is  greatly  decreased.  The  goods 
begin  to  do  their  own  talking. 

Stanley  goes  to  work  for  the  Ferris  Iron  Works. 

Step  by  step  he  works  his  way  to  the  position  of  book- 
keeper— best  clerk, in  the  place. 

The  question  of  factory  costs  arises.  A  simple,  almost 
primitive  system  is  installed.  One  man  is  required  to 
do  the  clerical  work.    Stanley  is  the  man. 

He  first  sets  about  securing  results  from  the  simple 
methods  he  has  to  work  with. 

When  these  results  prove  themselves,  Stanley  takes  steps 
to  perfect  the  system. 

Two  more  men  are  put  on  the  work.  He  becomes  the 
natural  head  of  a  minor  department. 

New  concerns  enter  the  bridge-building  field.  Competi- 
tion lowers  prices.  Where  the  Ferris  Iron  Works  used 
to  get  contracts  at  practically  their  own  price,  they  now 


146  Sales))ia)tshiiJ 

have  to  compete.  Price  becomes  important.  Engineers 
and  estimators  constitnto  tlie  salesmen  of  the  structural 
iron  fiekl.  Apart  from  the  personal  equation,  the  lowest 
bidder  gets  the  job. 

Stanley  was  far-sighted.    He  realized  this  situation. 

As  a  clerk— a  bookkeeper— the  results  of  Stanley's  work 
were  filtered  through  the  men  above  him  and  at  best  his 
elforts  were  only  a  part  of  the  departmental  results. 

But  as  head  of  the  two-man  cost  department,  he  began 
to  come  in  direct  contact  with  the  real  heads  of  the  con- 
cern; his  ability  wares  were  constantly  before  the  eyes 
of  the  real  buyers. 

With  the  ultimate  goal  of  making  his  department  one 
of  the  vitals  of  the  business,  Stanley  began  to  mold  it. 

Price  to  the  purchaser  is  always  based  on  one  thing, 
namely,  cost  to  the  producer. 

This  should  give  you  an  inkling  of  the  trend  of  Stanley's 
thoughts.  Business  grew  in  volume;  naturally  the  cost 
department  increased  in  size ;  more  jobs — more  figures — 
to  take  care  of.  And— where  his  figures  showed  dis- 
crepancies or  were  high,  Stanley  went  out  in  the  plant 
and  found  out  why.  Along  with  his  fi.gures  went  recom- 
mendations as  to  reductions  on  costs,  better  methods, 
time-savers,  labor  economies. 

liis  nights  were  put  in  studying.  To  his  rapidly  develop- 
ing ability  as  an  accountant  he  added  the  working  knowl- 
edge of  an  engineer  and  practical  factory  administration. 


Selling  Personality  147 

Stanley's  Cost  Departmpiit  became  a  Factory  Efficiency 
Division.  His  figures  were  only  indexes  to  short  cuts 
and  better  methods.  And  Stanley  was  the  man  who  sup- 
plied what  the  figures  showed  necessary. 

The  business  of  the  Ferris  Iron  Works  began  to  grow 
by  leaps  and  bounds.  Stanley's  work  had  reduced  their 
factory  costs.  Their  low  production  figures  meant  low 
estimates.    And  low  estimates  meant  business. 

At  Stanley's  suggestion,  the  sales  policy  was  made  more 
aggressive.  All  this  time  he  was  in  close  touch  with  the 
actual  heads  of  the  business,  making  them  realize  more 
and  more  each  day  the  value  of  his  services. 

His  increases  in  salary  as  an  executive  were  rapid  and 
substantial.  The  bigger  he  made  his  position,  the  more 
obvious  his  value  and  the  difficulty  of  replacing  him — the 
more  eager  his  employers  were  to  keep  him  satisfied. 
Inside  of  three  years  from  the  day  he  went  on  the  first 
cost  books  of  the  Ferris  Iron  Company,  Stanley 's  salary 
exceeded  liberally  that  of  the  Auditor  under  whom  he 
formerly  worked. 

And  one  month  ago  Stanley,  the  man  who  comparatively 
a  few  short  years  ago  was  hard  put  to  it  to  prove  him- 
self worthy  of  a  five  dollar  increase  in  salary,  was  offered, 
without  the  asking,  and  accepted  a  substantial  interest  in 
the  company  he  works  for. 

Stanley  is  not  a  myth. 


l4ii  Salesnubuship 

And  what's  more,  there  are  thousands  of  Stanleys  and 
millions  of  potential  Stanleys  in  the  business  institu- 
tions of  this  countr\'. 

Yet  what  Stanley  did,  any  man  can  do.  He  fitted  him- 
self, sold  himself,  delivered  what  he  sold,  and  is  being 
paid  for  the  goods.    That's  all. 

We  can't  all  reach  the  heights.    There  isn't  room. 

Providence  has  provided  all  men  with  the  material — the 
fundamentals — for  making  good.  Only  the  fact  that  so 
few  men  really  take  advantage  of  what  nature  has  placed 
at  their  disposal  makes  the  heights  pay  the  price  they  do. 

In  every  man's  life  arise  emergencies.  If  you  expect  to 
win,  you've  got  to  meet  them  without  a  waver  in  your 
walk  or  a  falter  in  your  voice.  They're  the  question 
marks  of  fate.  Let  your  answer  be  ''Yes"  and  your 
actions  accord  with  your  words. 

In  the  lounge  of  the  Union  League  Club  in  Chicago,  two 
business  men  were  talking. 

Suddenly  the  friendly  chat  flamed  into  a  heated  dis- 
cussion. 

Cotter,  head  of  a  big  manufacturing  concern  near  Chi- 
cago, claimed  that  in  every  business  there  were  young 
feUows — plenty  of  them — able  and  willing  to  "carry  the 
message  to  Garcia." 

Elwood,  the  other  man,  disputed  this.  He  said  that 
99A  p<3r  cent  of  the  employed  had  no  initiative — no 
minds  of  their  own — were  merely  creatures  of  direction. 


Selling  Personality  149 

"We'll  put  it  to  the  test,"  said  Cotter.  ''In  my  factory 
office  I  have  seven  young  men  marked  for  promotion. 
Any  one  of  them  can  carry  the  message — meet  the  emer- 
gency and  '  if 's, ' '  and 's, ' '  why 's, '  or  '  wherefore 's. '  Here, 
I'll  write  down  their  names.    Take  your  pick." 

Elwood  put  his  finger  on  the  name  ' '  Eales. ' ' 

A  bell  boy  was  called  and  instnicted,  and  inside  of  forty 
minutes  the  man  Eales  walked  through  the  club  doors. 

"Eales,"  said  Cotter  abruptly,  "we  are  completing  a 
contract  at  Winnipeg,  Canada,  for  the  Winnipeg  Water 
W^orks.  Mr.  Gage  is  the  President.  It's  eight-thirty  now. 
Gret  the  first  train  up  there.  Don't  come  back  until  you 
get  a  written  acceptance  of  the  work  signed  by  Mr. 
Gage." 

Eales  opened  his  mouth  to  ask  a  question,  changed  his 
mind  and  swallowed  it,  wheeled  and  loft  the  room  with  a 
bare  "Yes,  sir,"  as  his  contribution  to  the  conversation. 

Ten  days  later,  as  Cotter  walked  in  his  factory  office, 
through  the  glass  door  of  the  laboratory  he  saw  Eales, 
back  at  work. 

He  opened  the  door.    ' '  Eales,  where  is  that  acceptance  ? ' ' 

There  was  a  twinkle  in  Eales'  right  eye  as  he  answered, 
"On  your  desk."  On  the  cover  of  his  roll  top  desk. 
Cotter  found,  instead  of  the  acceptance  he  had  asked  for, 
the  Winnipeg  Company's  check  for  the  amount  in  full. 
Eales  had  carried  his  "message  to  Garcia"  and  brought 


150  Salesmanship 

back  the  answer.  He  won  his  spurs  on  that  trip  and  has 
justified  the  wearing  of  'em  ever  since. 

The  fellow  who  fails  to  meet  emergencies — to  make  op- 
portunities— and  is  satisfied  to  drop  back  and  do  just  as 
well  as  his  predecessor  or  the  men  around  him,  will  have 
to  be  satisfied  with  a  mediocre  round  in  the  ladder  of 
life.  That's  all  he  has  earned— that's  all  he  can  get. 
He  climbs,  not  as  far  as  he  can  nor  as  far  as  he  wants 
to,  but  as  far  as  he  will.  You  don't  have  to  be  startlingly 
original  to  succeed.  A  man  doesn't  have  to  discover  elec- 
tricity to  make  money  out  of  it.  Just  let  him  improve 
the  motor  the  other  fellow  invented  and  he'll  cash. 

Improve  on  the  work  of  the  fellow  you  follow ;  set  a  pace 
for  the  men  around  you  and  the  boys  behind.  Take 
advantage  of  every  minute.  The  measure  of  a  man's 
life  makes  time  the  most  precious  thing  in  the  world. 
Don't  tear  down;  buiJd  up. 

The  world  is  full  of  fellows  who  can  tell  you  why  an 
advertisement  is  bad. 

Yet  comparatively  few  men  can  sit  down  and  make  it 
good  or  write  a  new  one. 

Criticism  unsupported  by  suggestion  is  destructive;  it 
doesn't  pay. 

You  can't  build  a  house  by  tearing  down  bricks. 

No  man  ever  built  a  business  by  destructive  methods, 
but  the  best  methods  of  most  big  businesses  are  the  result 
of  constructive  criticism. 


Selling  Personality  151 

Constructive  criticism  consists  of  seeini(  a  possibility  for 
improvement  and  working  it  out  to  a  sound  practical 
conclusion. 

And  it's  one  of  the  biggest  qualifications  for  rapid  ad- 
vancement that  a  man  can  possess. 

You  can  eritidse  the  fact  that  there  are  two  men  run- 
ning the  punch  press — that  the  operations  are  costing 
too  much  in  labor. 

But  show  me  how  to  run  that  punch  press  with  one  man; 
make  a  practical  suggestion.  That's  constructive  criti- 
cism— the  kind  it  pays  you  to  make — the  kind  I'll  pay 
you  for  making. 

Present  the  net  results  of  your  work  to  the  men  abov^ 
you.  The  details  of  how  you  secured  them  are  uninterest- 
ing; they  mean  nothing. 

If  I  hire  a  man  to  dig  a  ditch  and  he  insists  upon  bring- 
ing me  each  individual  shovelful  to  look  at,  he  loses  time, 
bores  me,  and  discounts  the  effect  of  his  completed  job. 

The  fellow  who  gets  there  is  the  man  who  when  told  to 
dig  a  ditch  disappears  only  to  bob  up  again  with  "The 
job's  done." 

The  columns  of  figures — the  labor  of  adding  the  trial 
balance — are  only  details — steps  to  get  the  totals. 

The  balance — the  totals — the  results — are  all  that  count. 

Be  a  dealer  in  net  results. 


152  SaiesubaH'shlp 

Your  employer  jxivs  net  cash  for  them. 

Don't  ignore  the  men  around  you  and  play  only  to  the 
men  above  you. 

The  good- will  and  esteem  of  those  about  you  and  under 
you  are  as  important  as  the  regard  of  the  men  at  the 
head  of  the  business. 

The  upright,  progressive,  aggressive,  thinking  man  ad- 
vances with  the  good  wishes  of  everybody — ^vith  every 
Man  Jack  ** pulling  for  him." 

You've  known  men — lots  of  them — that  you  could  literally 
meet  or  see  fifty  times  and  never  give  them  a  second 
thought.  The  oftener  you  see  them,  the  less  you  are  con- 
scious of  their  presence.  Gray  figures  against  a  gray 
background — lacking  the  qualities  of  success — how  can 
they  hope  to  succeed?  They  may  hope  to,  but  they  don't, 
won't,  and  can't. 

Whose  fault  is  it?  Their  own.  Within  them  they  have 
latent  the  very  powers  that  put  men  on  the  peaks.  But 
they've  never  developed  their  latent  abilities.  They've 
let  them  rest — lie  dormant  until  they  dry  up.  They  are 
their  own  worst  enemies. 

Contrast  them  with  the  men  who  make  tluMr  fellow-beings 
feel  their  force — the  men  whom  men  remember — the 
fellows  who  sell  their  way  day  by  day — the  men  who 
regard  their  day's  work  as  a  joy  instead  of  an  irksome 
task — the  fellows  wlio  radiate  courage,  courtesy,  kind 
ness,  ability,  directed  energ)%  intelligent  aggressiveness. 


Selli/ng  Personality  153 

Why,  tliat  kiiid  of  man  can't  avoid  making  himself  felt 
simply  because  he  puts  himself  in  the  foreground. 

And  acquirement  and  use  of  the  channels  of  impression 
treated  on  in  Milestone  Number  Two  is  a  big  step  in  this 
direction. 

The  general  impression  you  make  upon  the  people  with 
whom  you  come  in  contact  is  simply  the  outward  expres- 
sion of  your  inner  life. 

Go  back  and  read  that  over  again  ten  times.  It  tells  the 
whole  story. 

Be  positive.  Stand  out  from  the  crowd  by  making  men 
feel  that  you  are  somebody — by  virtue  of  your  character — 
the  things  within  you. 

To  progress,  he  progressive  and  aggressive. 

Getting  right  down  to  brass  tacks,  what  is  the  difference 
between  the  worker — the  fellow  in  the  ranks — and  the 
man  who  directs  his  efforts  ! 

Let's  take  the  bookkeeper  and  his  auditor  for  illustrative 
purposes.  The  auditor  is  no  better  able  to  make  correct 
figures,  entries,  and  totals  than  the  bookkeeper — but — 
where  the  bookkeeper  produces  the  figures,  the  totals,  the 
auditor  is  capable  of  interpreting  them  and  their  mean- 
ings in  addition  to  directing  the  work. 

Fundamentally  that  is  the  difference  betu^een  the  man 
who  does  and  the  man  who  directs.  One  actually  does 
the  work.    The  other  passes  on  and  rights  wrong  methods. 


154  Salesmanship 

improves  old  ones,  intcrpn'ts  caiiso  and  effect;  he  has  a 
bird's  eye  view  of  the  whoh'  situation  and  is  capable  of 
directing  it  and  reading  the  meanings. 

Only  through  knowledge  of  the  work  itself  can  a  man 
hoi>e  to  become  an  (»xecntive  and  qualify  to  pass  on  and 
direct  the  work  of  others. 


You  may  say,  "But  the  president  of  our  company  has 
never  kept  books  or  worked  in  the  factory." 

True,  but  his  executives  are  men  who  have  been  throu<::h 
the  mill.  And  these  men  stand  between  him  and  the  actual 
performance  of  the  tasks.  His  auditors  and  factory 
superintendents  bring  him  facts  and  supplementary  in- 
formation which  make  an  intelligent  decision  on  his  part 
possible. 

The  higher  the  executive  and  the  larger  the  business,  the 
more  his  work  consists  of  decisions  and  responsibility. 

Witness  the  fact  that  in  any  well-organized  business  of 
size,  the  cleanest  desk  is  that  of  the  man  at  its  head. 
His  work  may  consist  of  deciding  upon  oidy  three  or  four 
questions  a  year,  but  the  right  or  wrong  answei-  to  these 
problems  may  make  or  lose  a  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

The  smaller  questions  must  be  decided  at  the  source  or 
in  between.  The  more  important  the  (juestion  and  its 
bearing  upon  the  general  welfare  of  tlie  business,  the 
bigger  the  man  with  whom  the  final  decision  rests. 


Selling  Personality  155 

The  relation  of  one  division  to  another  is  important  and 
proof  that  only  the  small  man  limits  himself  to  a  work- 
ing knowledge  of  his  own  department. 

The  fellow  at  the  head  of  the  business  knows  the  rela- 
tions and  general  problems  of  all  departments. 

The  broad  department  head  first  brings  his  own  depart- 
ment to  a  high  point  of  efficiency  and  then  makes  it  fit  in 
with  the  other  branches  of  the  business. 

Take,  for  example,  the  Winner  Soap  Company,  a  big  con- 
cern but  a  poorly  organized  one. 

Broadly,  the  divisions  of  the  business  of  the  Winner  Soap 
Company  come  under  three  heads:  the  Financial,  the 
Factory,  and  tlie  Sales. 

Each  department  is  highly  efficient  as  an  individual  de- 
partment. In  this  respect  it  represents  the  exception 
rather  than  the  rule. 

But  as  an  entirety,  the  whole  structure  is  discounted  by 
the  fact  that  the  three  divisions  don't  hitch — don't  pull 
together. 

Thery,  head  of  the  factory,  feels  that  the  manufacturing 
of  the  soap  is  responsible  for  the  success  of  the  business. 

Sage,  the  financial  head,  would  tell  you  that  his  clever 
handling  of  money  matters  is  the  all-important  thing. 

Jackson,  the  Sales  Manager,  absolutely  knows  that  with- 
out his  sales  force  and  methods  the  whole  business  would 
go  smash. 


156  Salesma)isliip 

But  they  are  wrong— all  of  them.  If  they'd  wake  up  and 
start  to  co-operate — work  together  for  the  good  of  the 
whole,  the  business  would  take  on  new  life. 

Jackson,  the  Sales  Manager,  knows  what  the  public  wants. 
If  Thery,  head  of  the  factory,  would  accept  suggestions 
from  him,  the  product  could  be  made  more  salable. 

On  the  other  hand.  Sage,  the  financial  kead,  could  give 
Jackson  some  tips  about  picking  dealers  of  better  stand- 
ing that  would  cut  down  the  credit  loss  thousands  of 
dollars  per  ye^ir. 

The  Financial  Department  must  so  govern  the  extension 
of  credits  that  risks  are  minimized— that  enough  capital 
is  on  hand  at  all  times  to  meet  emergencies  and  carry 
on  the  business. 

The  Sales  Department  must  market  the  product. 

But  if  the  factory  makes  bad  goods— merchandise  that 
fails  to  satisfy  the  ultimate  consumer,  all  the  efforts  of 
the  Sales  Department  in  marketing  and  of  the  Financial 
in  handling  credits  and  providing  capital  go  for  naught. 

It  is  self-evident  that  all  departments  of  a  business  are 
so  interwoven  that  they  must  run  together.  Any  busi- 
ness where  dilTerent  divisions  and  departments  are  play- 
ing for  their  individual  selfish  benefit  is  like  a  three- 
wheeled  wagon.  Tlie  fourth  wheel  of  organization  and 
understanding  is  essential  to  make  it  run  smoothly  and 
make  maximum  progress. 

I  make  the  flat  statement  that  as  the  head  of  any  in- 
dividual (l«'i.;nlni<'Tit  you  must  understand  not  only  your 


Selling  Personality  157 

own  immediate  duties  but  the  relation  of  your  work  to 
other  parts  of  the  business  and  you  must  see  that  things 
are  done  in  such  a  way  as  to  aid  instead  of  hamper  other 
divisions. 

Cobb,  Purchasing  Agent  for  a  southern  Illinois  manu- 
facturing concern,  on  the  strength  of  a  remarkable  record 
received  an  offer  from  a  competitor  and  made  the  change. 

Now  a  purchasing  agent  has  fundamentally  just  one  duty, 
and  that  is  to  buy  satisfactoiy  material  at  the  lowest 
possible  prices. 

For  a  while  Cobb  made  a  brilliant  record  with  the  new 
connection.  Then — suddenly  his  prices  went  sky-high ;  he 
seemed  unable  to  get  any  favors  from  producers  and  to 
have  lost  all  power  in  this  direction.  Prices  went  back 
up  to  where  they  were  before  he  took  the  position. 

On  the  face  of  it,  Cobb,  the  Purchasing  Agent,  was  to 
blame. 

But  as  a  matter  of  fact  it  was  simply  a  glaring  example 
of  lack  of  co-operation  and  understanding  between  de- 
partments. 

The  Financial  Department  was  at  the  bottom  of  the 
matter. 

One  of  the  bases  and  agreements  on  which  low  prices 
had  been  made  was  prompt  pajnnent  of  bills — immediate 
payment  in  fact. 


158  Salesmanship 

Naturally  on  close  prices  the  manufacturers  allowed  no 
cash  discounts. 

The  Auditor  of  this  company  considered  it  good  business 
to  hold  up  net  bills  from  thirty  to  sixty  days — use  the 
money  just  as  long  as  he  could  and  still  retain  a  good 
credit   standing. 

In  spite  of  Cobb's  instructions,  he  refused  to  co-operate, 
held  up  Cobb's  purchase  bills  just  as  he  had  before  the 
new  Purchasing  Agent  took  hold. 

AVhat  was  the  result? 

The  producers  from  whom  Cobb  bought  simply  refused  to 
make  low  prices  and  wait  for  their  money. 

And  as  a  result  of  this  lack  of  understanding  and  co- 
operation, the  few  dollars'  interest  which  the  Auditor 
made  by  holding  the  money  was  offset  by  many  thousands 
of  dollars  in  higher  prices  paid  for  purchased  material. 

The  unusual  executive  is  the  department  head  who  fully 
and  thoroughly  realizes  that  his  department  is  just  one 
cog  in  the  wheel  and  devotes  time,  thought,  and  attention 
to  its  relation  to  the  other  parts  and  in  trying  to  make  it 
fit,  in  addition  to  doing  his  own  work  efficiently. 

True,  a  business  can  jjrogress  in  spite  of  l)adly  related 
departments  and  narrow-minded  executives,  but  the  cor- 
poration where  they  all  interlock  and  run  smoothly  out- 
strips the  rest. 

That  is  the  secret  of  organization. 


Selling  Personality  159 

Who  was  it  said — 

The  price  of  the  ^n  never  hits  the  bull's-eye 

And  the  hang  seldom  rattles  the  bells. 
It 's  the  hand  on  the  trigger  that  cuts  the  real  figger. 

The    aim's   what    amounts — that's   what    makes 
record  counts. 
Are  you  hitting  or  just  wasting  shells? 

Business  is  a  combination  of  gun,  shells,  aim,  and  target. 

And  one  of  them  isn't  worth  a  ten-cent  piece  without  all 
of  them  together. 

The  better  they  work  together  and  the  closer  their  rela- 
tion, the  bigger  the  results. 

What  your  employers  are  purchasing  from  you  is  your 
individual  contribution  toward  the  success  of  the  business 
as  an  entirety. 

The  more  your  brain  contributes  to  their  success,  the 
more  their  cash  box  will  contribute  to  yours. 

TEST  QUESTIONS 

1.  In  your  business,  are  the  men  in  the  ranks  preparing  them- 
selves for  the  higher  positions  or  must  the  heads  of  departments 
be  brought  in  from  outside  sources  ?     What  is  the  situatian  ? 

2.  Do  you  know  of  any  Reddiugs  who  have  held  big  jobs  but 
were  apparently  helpless  when  they  lost  them?  AVhat  success 
qualities  did  they  lack? 

3.  What  is  j'our  answer  to  this  question :  "  If  I  were  out 
of  a  position  tomorrow  morning,  where  would  I — where 
could  I— go?" 

4.  Why  is  it  important  to  select  the  right  kind  of  a  conceni 
to  connect  with  in  a  business  capacity  ?  What  factors  are  to  be 
considered  ? 


160  SalesmansJtip 

5.  What  are  the  six  channels  through  which  positions  may 
be  secured? 

6.  "Why  may  these  six  channels  be  reduced  to  four  for  prac- 
tical purposes? 

7.  Now  be  serious:  How  would  you  use  your  friends  and 
acquaintances  to  help  you  find  a  new  position  ? 

8.  What  are  the  vital  points  to  be  considered  in  writing  a 
letter  of  application? 

9.  How  do  the  principles  of  salesmanship  apply  in  the  per- 
sonal interview? 

10.  WTiat  are  the  ten  rules  for  business  conduct  given  in  this 
milestone  ? 

11.  What  principles  are  laid  down  for  seeking  promotion  by 
asking  for  it? 

]  2.  Is  there  any  dependable  road  to  promotion  other  than  that 
which  lies  along  the  line  of  merit? 

13.  What  increasing  ajdvantages  does  a  man  possess  from  the 
standpoint  of  promotion  as  he  advances  in  the  scale  of  business  ? 

14.  What  does  business  demand  of  a  man  besides  faithful 
execution  of  the  routine  work  of  his  job  ? 


MILESTONE  NUMBER  FOUR 
personal  selling 

Opportunities  in  Selling 

Consider  the  following,  which  was  in  a  letter  from  the 
active  head  of  one  of  the  largest  milling  concerns  in 
America : 

Results  are  the  only  things  that  count.  We  are 
perfectly  willing  to  pay  a  salesman  $10,000  a  year 
if  he  delivers  the  goods;  we  are  willing  to  pay 
$75,000  a  year  if  he  delivers,  and  a  man's  salary 
from  $75  a  month  up  to  almost  anything  is  in  his 
own  hands. 

That  sentiment  is  reflected  by  the  heads  of  ninety-nine 
out  of  every  hmidred  concerns  employing  salesmen. 

The  only  limit  to  the  salesman 's  earning  power  is  a  self- 
imposed  one — for — results  depend  upon  the  man — and — 
the  man  is  what  he  makes  himself. 

In  this  one  branch  of  commercial  endeavor  we  find  results 
bringing  their  own  reward  without  'Svhy's"  or  "where- 
fore 's ' '  entering  into  the  matter. 

Tliis  you  know. 

161 


162  Salesmanship 

The  question  in  the  mind  of  the  fellow  starting  out  with 
a  grip  in  one  hand  and  an  expense  check  in  the  other  is: 
''How  can  I  sell?" 

The  question  in  the  mind  of  the  man  who  is  producing 
now  is:    **How  can  I  increase  my  sales?" 

And  this  milestone  answers  both  questions. 

Understand  in  advance,  please,  that  we  offer  no  theories. 

The  source  of  the  methods  offered  herein  lies  in  the 
operation  of  thousands  of  successful  salesmen  in  varied 
lines  the  country  over. 

These  men  are  working  more  than  the  average  salesman 
because  they  are  better  than  the  average. 

And  here  is  what  they  have  found  produce  real  results. 

The  Order-Taker  vs.  the  Salesman 

Let's  take  a  look  at  the  order- taker — not  as  a  horrible 
example — not  as  an  object  of  pity — but  to  make  a  point. 

Mr.  "Order-Taker"  calls  on  Smith,  Brown,  .Jones,  James, 
ami    liobinson. 

Tlicy  are  not  in  the  market. 

!!<•  ()p(ii>  Ills  grip  ill  lianison's  store — and — Harrison 
buys. 


Personal  Selling  163 

Mind  you,  lio  didji't  sell  anytliiiif^.  Harrison  was  ready; 
tlie  order-tidvor  iiad  the  goods — showed  them — and — took 
the  order. 

Why? 

Simply  because  his  prospect  was  in  the  market — ready 
to  buy. 

He  encountered  a  favorable  situation;  he  was  standing 
directly  under  the  apple  with  a  bushel  basket  when  it 
dropped   from   the   tree. 

That  is  what  makes  it  possible  for  the  order-taker  to 
exist.  If  he  calls  on  enough  people  he  is  bound  to  find  a 
certain  percentage  of  them  needing  what  he  sells  and 
ready  to  order. 

Let's  leave  the  subject  of  order-taking.  Let's  deal  with 
the  problem  of  the  man  who  really  sells. 

What  is  it? 

Simply  this : 

The  salesman  must  create  a  specialized  situation.  He 
has  got  to  put  men  in  the  market  who  didn't  feel  that  way 
when  he  walked  in  the  store. 

Old  Abraham  Cohen  said,  ''Ike  is  a  good  boy.  When  a 
man  wants  an  overcoat  he  gets  the  order.  But  Jake  is  a 
salesman;  he  sells  overcoats  to  men  who  don't  want 
them. ' ' 


164  Siilr.^niinisliip 

If  Abraham  had  been  dealiiic:  in  causes  rather  than 
erfocts,  he  would  have  amended  his  remark;  he  would 
have  said,  "Jake  makes  men  realize  that  they  want  over- 
coats." 

Now — let  this  sink  in  deep. 

The  order-taler  canvasses  ]ookin<]:  for  people  who  want 
to  buy. 

The  salesman  tries  to  makr*  every  man  he  calls  on  want 
to  buy. 

The  order-taker  accepts  advanta,2:e  of  the  situation  he 
finds. 

The  salesman  creates  specialized  situations  to  suit  his 
purpose. 

Standard  Practices 

If  Henry  Ford  pennittod  his  workmen  to  do  practically 
as  they  pleased — to  work  fifteen  minutes  setting  an  en- 
gine, then  leave  the  job  uncompleted  and  start  assembling 
a  rear  axle,  then  g'rab  a  paint  brush  and  give  the  body  a 
few  licks — if  he  permitted  this  kind  of  work  in  his  factory, 
what  would  it  cost  to  make  the  Ford  car? 

The  big  trouble  in  the  fi^'ld  of  selling  today  is  that  elToi't 
is  largely  unorganized;  a  man  makes  one  talk  to  one 
customer  and  another  to  the  next;  he  is  moved  by  the 
whim  of  the  moment  and  the  way  lie  feels. 

Conserjuontly,  through  unorgani/<'d,  hit-or-miss  methods, 
his  cost  of  selling  is  high  simply  because  his  methods  are 
not  as  efficient  as  they  should  be. 


Personal  Sellmg  165 

'!  liere  are  standard  operations  in  making  a  sale  just  as 
there  are  in  maldng  an  automobile. 

And  the  difference  between  recognizing  and  intelligently 
apphdng  these  methods  and  not  doing  so  is  the  difference 
between  getting  a  high  per  cent  of  efficiency  out  of  your 
working  hours  or  running  on  first  speed  for  the  rest  of 
your  life,  with  an  occasional  shift  to  the  reverse  gear. 

Just  as  surely  as  Harrington  Emerson  has  standardized 
factory  efficiency  methods  to  the  tune  of  thousands  of 
dollars  in  labor-saving,  the  following  methods  will 
standardize  your  sales  practice  and,  if  persistently  and 
intelligently  used,  will  inevitably  result  in  time  and  sales 
saving  and  money-making. 

There  are  three  steps  to  the  taking  of  an  order. 

These  three  steps  have  been  covered  in  every  sale  ever 
made. 

In  the  first  step — the  appeoach — the  prospective  customer 
is  met. 

In  the  second  step  the  product  or  proposition  is  demon- 
strated. 

In  the  third  step  the  order  is  secured. 

The  object  of  each  one  of  these  three  steps  is  to  bring 
about  a  specialized  situation  for  a  certain  purpose. 

Thev  will  be  dealt  with  in  turn. 


l(i(i  Salesmanship 

Here  then  is  the  standard  practice  of  making  a  sale,  just 
as  carefully  analyzed  and  clearly  defined  as  standard 
practice  in  automobile-making. 

The  Successful  Approach 

Practically  every  sale  made  to  a  new  buyer  may  be  prop- 
erly classified  as  easy,  difficult,  or  impossible. 

You'll  readily  agree  to  that. 

P>ut  iciH  you  agree  to  thisf 

Sales  are  not  easy,  difficult,  or  impossible  according  to 
the  character  or  mood  of  the  man  you're  talking  to. 

What  i/ou  say  or  do  during  the  first  few  minutes  of  your 
interview  is  the  one  thing  which  largely  controls  the 
later  course  of  the  sale. 

It  doesn't  take  brains  to  make  a  sale  difficult  or  im- 
possible. 

^'<.li^  task  is  to  ])ave  the  path — make  it  easy. 

And  it's  just  as  easy  to  make  a  sale  easy  as  it  is  to  spoil 

it  altogether. 

The  whole  object  of  your  appioacli  is  to  arouse  fully  your 
prospect's  interest — to  bring  liini  to  the  point  where  he 
Hants  U)  see  your  product  and   bear  your  proposition. 

Get  it? 


Personal  Selling  167 

That  is  the  first  specialized  situation — to  make  the  man 
you're  talking  to  really  want  particulars — arouse  his  in- 
terest and  put  him  in  a  buying  frame  of  mind. 

How  are  you  going  to  go  about  it  to  create  this  situation  ? 

In  the  first  place,  there  is  a  factor  in  selling  which  but 
very  few  men  seem  to  have  recognized ;  yet  it  is  a  block 
over  which  we  stumble  time  and  time  again,  when  by 
Imowing  that  it  was  there  we  could  just  as  easily  walk 
around  it. 

This  stumbling  block  is  the  average  ivlan's  instinctive 

ANTAGONISM  TO  BEING  SOLD. 

It  exists  and  is  a  force  with  which  we  have  to  contend 
just  as  surely  as  the  wind  blows,  the  rain  falls,  and  the 
sun  shines. 

The  minute  a  man  realizes  that  you  have  something  to 
sell,  he  instinctively — without  realizing  it — throws  up  the 
mental  barrier.  Though  he  will  hardly  put  it  in  words 
even  to  himself,  his  feeling  is  something  like  this: 

"This  fellow  has  something  to  sell.  He  thinks  he  is 
going  to  make  me  take  it.  I'll  show  him  he  is 
wrong.    I  will  not  buy. " 

You  see  the  idea?  The  mere  fact  that  you  are  a  sales- 
man intluences  your  prospect  partly  to  make  up  his  mind 
that  he  is  not  going  to  buy. 

This  feeling  is  based  on  the  fact  that  every  man  in- 
stinctively hates  to  admit  that  another  man  can  ynake  him 
do  anything.  ^^ 


168  Salesmanship 

And  remomber,  all  tliis  happens  before  either  of  you  say 
one  word. 

^o  your  iirst  tiiak  is  to  ^et  past  this  barrier  of  instinctive 
antagonism  to  being  sold. 

How  are  you  going  to  do  it? 

Force!  Nonsense.  That's  like  trying  to  lift  a  two  hundred 
pound  barrel  by  brawn  alone  when  you've  a  block  and 
tackle  at  hand. 

Here's  the  way  to  overcome  that  instinctive  antagonism 
to  being  sold — the  quick  way — the  sure  way. 

Forget  forever  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  forcing  youT 
business  on  the  other  fellow;  put  yourself  in  his  pb.ce 
and  start  riglit,  working  with  him  to  find  out  hov  his 
business  wUl  be  benefitted  by  your  proposition. 

In  tliis  way  you  can  overcome  this  instinctive  ar  .agonism 
to  being  sold  in  much  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  about 
it.  Nip  it  in  the  bud  before  it  blossoms  in<o  a  bloom 
which  spells  death  to  your  prospective  sale 

Here  are  examples  of  the  riglit  and  urouL'-  way. 

You  'vc  tlje  rheumatism — a  bad  case. 

One  salesman  comes  in  and  says: 

"I'm  selling  a  rhcumntism  cure.  You  may  think 
yrrn  know  Honiftliiiifr  abmit  rlK-nmatism  and  rheu- 
matism remedies  but  vou  don't.     This  stufT  of  mine 


Personal  Selling  169 

is  the  greatest  on  earth,  better  than  what  you  think 
is  best,  etc." 

That's  exagg-e rated,  of  course.  But  it  serves  to  illus- 
trate the  point. 

In  spite  of  your  absolute  need  for  a  rheumatism  remedy, 
your  instinctive  antagonism  to  being  sold  is  aroused  and 
grows  witJi  every  word  he  says.  You  feel  that  the  man 
is  trying  to  dominate  you — make  you  buy.  Result — you 
won 't. 

That  is  the  wrong  way — the  common  way.  Here's  the 
right  one. 

Another  salesman  comes  along  with  another  rheumatism 
cure. 

He  makes  his  start  with  a  few  remarks  about  the  pain 
and  inconvenience  of  rheumatism  which  you  know  to  bo 
true. 

And  the  first  thing  yon  know,  you  and  he  are  discussing 
your  affairs. 

Your  instinctive  antagonism  to  being  sold  has  been  passed 
— forgotten — nipped  in  the  bud. 

The  question  has  been  turned  from  his  proposition  to 
your  problem. 

And — if  he's  the  right  salesman,  the  eventual  solution  of 
your  problem  will  be  his  proposition. 


170  Salesmanship 

Overcoming:  instinctive  antapfonism  to  being  sold  is  a 
good  deal  like  taking  olT  your  clothes  to  go  swimming;  it 
lias  nothing  to  do  with  yoiii'  purpose  l)ut  it  is  a  necessary 
preliminary. 

The  real  purpose  of  your  approach  is  to  arouse  the 
INTEREST  of  vour  prospcctive  purchaser — to  put  him  in 
the  mental  attitude  of  ''If  this  is  what  he  says  it  is,  I'll 
buy." 

Get  the  idea?  And  once  you  have  created  the  specialized 
situation,  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  prove  that  your  state- 
ments are  true;  then — the  order's  yours. 

The  successful  approach  is  simply  an  advance  agent  of 
the  appcrt/— the  talking  points  of  what  you  have  to  sell. 

Instead  of  jumping  right  in  and  talking  the  points  of 
your  article  before  you've  won  your  buyer's  interest, 
cloak  the  points  and  present  them  as  something  the  buyer 
■would  want,  pror'uhd  they  could  be  obtained. 

Then  you've  got  an  interested  audience — the  first  essen- 
tial to  the  sale. 

A  new  line  of  hay  carriers  is  being  marketed. 

One  salesman  approaches  the  new  dealer  with  something 
like  this: 

Salesman:  "Morninp,  Mr.  Locke.  Don't  you  sometimes 
get  tired  li.slciiinrr  to  custoniers'  kickiiifr  on  hay 
carriers  that  break  the  Gi-st  season?     Wouldn't 


Personal  Selling  171 

you  like  to  do  away  with  the  erpeuse  of  replac- 
iug  parts  for  them?" 
Dealer:        "Yes." 

Salesman:  "I'm  not  advancing  this  as  a  promise — but — 
suppose — just  suppose — you  could  get  the  ex- 
clusive agency  for  a  hay  carrier  which  is  just 
twice  as  big  and  twice  as  strong  as  any  other 
made — a  carrier  which  does  away  with  break- 
age and  repairs  and  customers'  complaints, 
you'd  certainly  be  interested,  wouldn't  you?" 

And  the  talking  points  of  the  hay  carriers  this  man  sells 
are  that  they  are  larger  and  stronger  than  any  other 
make. 

His  APPROACH,  you  see,  is  built  right  around  the  appeal 
of  his  own  particular  product  and  advanced  in  such  a  way 
that  it  arouses  the  interest  of  the  fellow  he  is  talking  to. 

There  isn't  a  product  or  a  proposition  in  America  that 
this  simple  rule  camiot  be  applied  to. 

Now — what  would  it  mean  to  you  if  every  man  called 
upon  was  interested  beforehand — had  written  in  to  the 
house  asking  to  look  at  your  proposition? 

It  would  mean  more  sales — lots  of  them. 

Well,  you  can  make  the  first  few  minutes  you  spend  with 
a  prospect  act  like  a  double-page  spread  in  the  Saturday 
Evening  Post — turn  indifferent  listeners  into  real  buyers. 

Here  are  the  two  steps  and  standardized  practice  of  the 

successful  APPROACH  : 


172  Salesmanship 

Step  1. — Overcoming  Instinctive  Antagonism  to  Being 
Hold. 

By  getting  over  on  your  prospect's  side  of 
the  fence — working  with  him,  not  at  him. 

Step  2. — Arousing  Interest. 

By  pivsinting  the  points  of  your  proposition 
as  things  he  hiinsrlf  has  long  desired — by 
establisJiing  points  of  contact  which  make 
him  eager  to  go  into  details. 

By  the  successful  application  of  these  two  stops  and  the 
principles  involved  you  have  created  the  specialized  situa- 
tion of  liavinn-  your  prospective  purchaser  interested  and 
in  a  bu}^ng  frame  of  mind. 

The  approadi  can  do  no  more.  You  are  now  ready  for 
the  demonstration. 

But  showing  goods — demonstrating — before  you  have 
won  a  man's  interest  is  like  shooting  at  a  duck  before  it's 
within  range.  There  is  no  law  of  man  or  nature  whicli 
says  you  have  a  reasonable  right  to  hope  to  connect 
your  bullet  with  the  bird. 

The  Demonstbation 

In  your  approacli  you  have  won  th<'  prospect's  interest. 
You  have  put  him  in  the  mental  position  where  he  is  ready 
to  puidiase  if  you  [)i()\e  up  your  claims. 

Aim!  you  fan  prov*-  up  tliese  claims  because  you  made 
them,  knowing  in  advance  that  they  were  merely  a  preface 
to  showing  your  proposition. 


Personal  Selling  173 

What  is  the  mission  of  your  demonstration? 

To  create  desire  for  your  goods. 

That's  all. 

And  the  minute — the  second — that  is  accomphshed,  the 
order  is  yours  for  the  taking. 

Let  your  demonstration  be  organized,  well  thought  out, 
with  a  beginning,  a  middle,  and  an  end. 

A  man  travels  familiar  roads  more  rapidly  and  surely 
than  he  can  pick  his  way  along  unknown  paths. 

Consequently,  prepare  and  practically  memorize  a  stand- 
ard demonstration  of  your  proposition;  have  it  in  such 
shape  that  your  mind  is  dealing  with  the  man  you  are 
talking  to — with  the  emergencies  you  meet  instead  of 
groping  for  something  to  say. 

The  best  speeches — the  greatest  orations — the  ones  that 
have  made  history — have  in  the  great  majority  of  cases 
been  prepared  beforehand  and  carefully  memorized. 

I  don't  mean  to  say  that  you  should  write  out  a  demon- 
stration, tlien  commit  it  to  memory,  and  try  to  repeat  it 
word  for  word. 

But  I  do  say  that  you  should  have  a  standard  practice  in 
presenting  or  demonstrating  your  proposition. 

Let  this  demonstration  of  yours  be  born  of  your  ex- 
perience and  that  of  other  men  in  selling  your  product. 


174  Salesmanship 

Sit  down  with  a  pencU  and  a  lot  of  paper. 

First,  jot  down  the  biy  talking  points  of  your  proposition. 

Then  marshal  them  with  a  beginning,  a  middle,  and  an 
end. 

Then  write  out  a  presentation,  putting  yourself  in  tlie 
other  fellow's  place — weighing  the  effect  upon  him  of 
every  word  you're  going  to  utter.  Remember,  you're  a 
salesman,  not  an  author. 

Cut  down. 

Boil  down. 

Eliminate. 

Abbreviate. 

Then  when  you're  satisfied  that  you've  got  the  shortest, 
best,  most  eon\ineing,  most  complete  demonstration  of 
your  product  that  you  are  capable  of  giving,  coniniit 
it  to  memory. 

Yes,  commit  it  to  raemor}\  And  if  yon  doiiltl  the  effect 
on  others  of  memorized  wor<is,  witness  I  lie  actors  who, 
with  the  same  speeches,  make  dilTcrcnt  audiences  laugh 
and  cry  at  the  same  places  in  their  play  night  after  night 
after  night. 

Yes,  when  you  are  convinced  tlnit  yv)n  have  the  best 
demonstration  you  are  capable  of  giving,  then  mem- 
orize it. 


Personal  Selling  175 

Take  it  out  on  the  firing  line. 

Add  to  it. 

Take  away  from  it. 

And  you'll  find  yourself  with  a  demonstration  that  will 
bring  down  the  game  in  the  shape  of  orders. 

We  can't  all  be  at  our  best  every  day — every  hour. 

But  if  you  get  your  best  possible  demonstration  down 
on  paper  and  then  firmly  intrench  it  in  the  back  of  your 
head,  you'll  be  certain  to  make  a  better  average  presenta- 
tion than  you  ever  have  before. 

Now — knowing  what  you  do  about  your  own  proposition, 
if  you  were  in  your  prospect's  shoes  you'd  want  it, 
wouldn't  you? 

Well  then — your  task  is  simple;  you  have  only  to  make 
your  prospect  feel  the  same  way  about  it  that  you  do 
yourself  and  the  order  is  yours. 

And  how  are  you  going  to  do  this? 

By  convej-ing  to  your  prospect  the  very  things  that  have 
made  you  feel  the  way  you  do. 

You  can  hardly  expect  him  to  view  matters  the  way  you 
do  in  the  first  place. 

If  he  did,  his  orders  would  be  coming  in  through  the 
mail. 


17(i  Salc6inan,sliip 

Thai's  what  you  are  there  for — to  make  hiin  feel  the  way 
you  do — to  arouse  his  desire. 

FEAR HASTE UNCERTAINTY 

They're  all  enemies  of  the  successful  deuioustration. 
Why  should  you  fear? 

The  worst  that  can  happen  to  you  is  not  to  get  the  order. 
And  you  cau'l  lose  any  tiling  that  you  haven't  got. 

Haste? 

Why  should  you  hurry? 

You  must  make  your  listener  understand  in  order  to  get 
his  order.  You  certainly  can't  make  him  understand  by 
rattling  off  your  demonstration  as  if  you  were  paid  by 
tlic  number  of  words  you  got  out  per  miuute. 

Uncertainty? 

You  can't  be  uncertain.  You  know  too  much  of  the  merit 
(»f  what  you're  selling  to  waver  one  second  from  the 
absolute  knowledge  that  you  are  there  to  benefit  the  man 
you're  talking  to. 

Von 're  too  stron(;  to  let  fear,  haste,  or  uncertainty 
wreck  your  plans. 

Leave  them  U>  ilie  weaker  sisters. 

I've  seen  lots  of  nn-n—so  have  you — who  the  minute  they 
encounter  opposition  put  themselves  on  the  defensive — 


Personal  Selling  177 

take  the  attitude  of  tr}dng  to  prove  that  they  are  not 
liars.     Pity  them;  they're  predestined  to  failure. 

You  are  master  of  your  interview. 

You  know  what  you  are  going  to  say. 

You  know  how  you  are  going  to  say  it. 

You  know  that  what  you  are  going  to  say  and  the  way 
you  say  it  are  going  to  direct  your  prospect's  mind  in  the 
channels  you  indicate  to  the  final  point  of  desire  for 
what  you  sell. 

So — let  your  facts  come  as  gospel. 

State  them  as  undeniable,  irrefutable  truths.  Let  your 
deep  sincerity  and  positive  statements  head  off  objec- 
tions and  overcome  arg-uments  before  they  are  raised. 

Assume  that  your  listener  believes  you;  give  him  facts 
he  can  believe — and — in  the  majority  of  cases  he  will. 

Simply  make  it  easier  for  him  to  believe  than  not  to. 

Avoid  the  pitfalls  of  long  words  and  small  superfluous 
arguments.  Remember  that  the  man  who  bears  a  mes- 
sage, to  be  effective,  must  get  it  across  in  the  quickest, 
most  convincing  sort  of  way.  Long  words  and  so-called 
''clever  talking"  defeat  their  very  object;  they  are 
offensive  instead  of  impressive.  And  those  little,  good- 
for-nothing  arguments  don't  get  the  orders.  Stick  to  the 
big  points  of  your  proposition — the  points  that  count — 


178  Salesmanship 

the  tried  and  true  order-getters.    You  know  them.    Use 

them. 


TTlienever  you  open  3'our  mouth  to  make  a  demonstration 
forget  that  you  ever  made  one  before — that  you're  ever 
going  to  make  one  again. 

There  is  just  one  man  in  the  world  to  be  sold,  and  that 
is  the  fellow  you  are  talking  to. 

You  can't  sell  him  by  tliinking  of  the  chap  you  sold 
yesterday  or  the  one  you  are  going  to  sell  this  afternoon. 
The  man  is  before  you ;  concentrate  on  him. 

Remember,  no  matter  how  old  your  arguments  are  to  you, 
they  ring  fresli  in  his  ears. 

And  the  same  points  that  sold  your  proposition  last  year 
— the  same  ones  that  will  sell  it  next  year — will  sell  it 
this  very  minute  to  the  man  you're  talking  to. 

Leave  no  possible  questions  unanswered  in  your  pros- 
pect's mind. 

Some  men  have  a  tendency  verbally  to  say  '*  Yes,"  with- 
out really  being  convinced,  just  to  l)e  agreeable  or  avoid 
argument. 

Instea*!  of  fryiiiLc  to  irct  a  mere  verbal  assent,  bend  your 
endeavors  toward  rnakinLC  a  man's  mind  completely  aiid 
absolutely  convinced  of  the  truth  of  what  you  are  saying. 


Personal  Selling  179 

In  this  way — step  by  step — as  you  go  through  your 
demonstration  you  will  get  a  general  approval  on  every 
point  you  make. 

Then — when  you  get  to  the  net  result — getting  the  order, 
your  prospect  cannot  raise  a  point — go  back  and  disagree 
with  you. 

Coolly,  deliberately,  and  forcefully  bringing  into  play 
all  your  powers  of  mind  and  voice,  you  must  lead  your 
listener — lead  him  by  successive  stages  of  conviction — to 
the  final  goal  of  desire. 

MEETING  OBJECTIONS 

Certain  objections  exist  to  every  proposition  in  the 
world. 

And  what  your  proposition  is  determines  what  the  objec- 
tions are. 

Call  on  a  thousand  average  men  to  whom  your  proposi- 
tion is  salable. 

You'll  find  the  self-same  objections  on  the  Ups  of  t-he 
majority  of  them. 

And  these  objections — boiled  down  and  standardized — 
resolve  themselves  into  a  very  small  number. 

For  instance,  in  the  paint  business  the  standard  objec- 
tions are : 

(a)  ''Too  much  money  tied  up  in  present  stock  to  con- 
sider chauging." 

(b)  " No  call  for  your  goods. " 


18()  Salesmanship 

And  really  tliesc  two  objoctions  represent  the  big  buffing 
points  of  the  paint  salesman  today.  lie  finds  them  in 
the  mouths  of  the  great  majority  of  his  prospective  pur- 
chasers. 

Now  considering  the  fact  that  the  majority  of  the  men 
a  salesman  calls  on  entertain  the  same  objections,  it  is 
only  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  same  rebuttals  or 
answers  should  overcome  them. 

That  is  more  than  just  reasonable ;  it  is  absolutely  so. 

When  I  say  objections,  I  mean  what  I  say — bona  fide. 

Objections — 

Not  merely  excuses  for  not  buying.  That  kind  of  objec- 
tion is  a  reflection  on  the  salesmiin.  He  hasn't  sold  his 
man. 

A  real  objection  can  be  defined  as  a  valid,  existing  reason 
for  not  taking  the  goods  or  proposition.  "Wlion  overcome 
the  sale  is  made. 

The  efifective  rebuttal  or  answer  to  aji  objection  is  one 
that  gets  past;  it  settles  it  forever. 

Every  salesman  should  study  jmd  classify  the  objections 
he  meets  with. 

Tlicn  when  he  has  these  objections  fairly  well  established 
in  his  (jwn  mind,  he  should  start  formulating  his  re- 
buttals. 


Personal  Selling  181 

Where  will  ho  get  them? 

Simply  from  common  sense,  experience,  and  experiments. 

Whenever  an  answer  overcomes  one  of  these  standard 
objections  and  makes  the  sale,  put  that  answer  down  as  a 
standard  rebuttal  to  that  particular  objection. 

And  the  first  thing  you  know  your  equipment  includes  a 
standard,  effective  rebuttal  that  will  clear  the  path  of 
every  common  objection  you  meet. 

It  is  positively  a  shame  to  see  salesmen  stumble  and 
stanmier  and  *'hem  and  haw"  in  answering  an  objection 
they  have  been  up  against  forty  times  before.  It  is  in- 
excusable. 

Closing  the  Sale 

In  the  demonstration  you  lead  your  prospect  step  by  step 
through  the  successive  stages  of  conviction  to  the  point 
of  desire. 

Right  tJiere  is  where  the  order  is  yours  for  the  taking. 

But  to  get  it  you  've  got  to  take  it. 

There's  no  secret  about  being  able  to  tell  when  your 
prospect  feels  kindly  towards  your  proposition. 

Watch  him  closely. 

And  the  minute  he  begins  to  sway  your  way  you  can  tell 
it  just  as  surely  as  you  can  feel  heat  and  cold  upon  your 
body. 


18:2  Salesmanship 

And  that  minute  is  tlic  right  time  to  try  to  take  tlu' 
order. 

Stop  selling  and  start  closing. 

Right  here  I  want  to  make  a  distinction — a  big  one. 

There's  a  distinct  difference  between  asking  for  the  order 
and  trying  to  take  it. 

The  salesman  who  asks  for  orders  says,  "Do  you  want 
this?" 

And  he  does  two  things  he  shouldn't. 

First  of  all,  he  invites  a  negative  answer — makes  it  easy 
for  his  prospect  to  say  "No." 

Second,  a  definite  "No"  to  a  question  of  this  kind  comes 
pretty  nearly  ending  the  interview.  A  decision  has  been 
passed;  you'll  have  a  real  job  trying  to  get  your  listener 
to  reverse  it. 

ller<'  IS  the  ri.uht  way  to  tiy  for  the  order.  When  you 
feel  that  the  time  is  rijie,  act  just  as  if  your  prospect 
had  verbally  said  "Yes";  start  discussing  terms,  details 
of  delivery,  or  something  that  comes  after  flic  order  is 
placed. 

As  an  illustration,  you're  sellinir  flour  to  a  grocer. 
You've  made  your  talk;  you  feel  that  he  is  ready  to  buy. 


Personal  Selling  183 

Instead  of  asking  him  to  purchase,  you  take  it  for  grauk'*! 
IJiat  lie  is  going  to  and  swing  right  into  the  details  of 
Uikiug  the  order  just  as  if  he  had  verbally  said  "Yes." 

You're  making  it  hard  for  him  to  say  "No." 

In  the  full  realization  that  a  fifty-ban'el  order  would  be 
a  large  one  for  the  man  you're  talking  to,  you  say,  "You'll 
want  at  least  a  hundred  barrels,  won't  you?" 

Now  if  he  is  ready  to  buy,  he'll  come  right  back  with  "No, 
I  only  use  forty  barrels  at  a  tune." 

If  he's  undecided — half  for  and  half  against — your  sug- 
gestion as  to  the  quantity — the  hundred-barrel  order — 
turns  his  mind  from  the  question  of  whether  he  will  buy 
or  not  to  the  amount  he  will  purclm.se. 

Do  you  see  what  that  method  of  procedure  does?  It 
gracefully  and  easily  passes  the  decision  point — gets  you 
right  down  to  actually  taking  the  order. 

On  the  other  hand,  suppose  your  judgment  was  wrong; 
suppose  he  is  not  ready  to  purchase. 

If  you  had  come  right  out  and  asked  for  a  definite  de- 
cision you  would  have  received  a  "No"  and  that  would 
have  pretty  near  ended  the  matter. 

But  a  "No"  to  the  quantity  question  does  not  mean  an 
adverse  decision  to  the  entire  proposition.  It  leaves  you 
free  to  pick  up  your  selling  argument  again  and  reinforce 
your  statements  until  he  is  ready  to  buy. 


184  SaleaituiHship 

More  salesmen  make  the  mistake  of  overselling  their 
prospects  t-lian  underselling. 

lu  plain  English,  thoy  talk  their  man  to  the  point  where 
he  is  ready  to  buy  and  then  talk  him  ovt  of  that  mood — 
lose  his  interest  and  his  order  after  it  was  there  foi-  the 
taking. 

You  might  account  for  that  by  saying  that  this  type  of 
salesman  does  not  "feel"  when  his  prospect  is  ready. 

But  that  is  not  a  fact.  They  do  feel  it,  but  they  figure 
something  like  this,  "I've  got  him  coming  now,  but  if 
I  try  to  g^t  an  order  he  may  say  *No.'  I'll  just  keep  on 
selling  and  make  the  thing  a  little  surer." 

And  in  making  it  a  little  surer  they  lose  out  altogether. 

Most  of  us  hesitate  to  face  a  crisis.  We  are  afraid  of  an 
adverse  decision. 

That  is  largely  why  some  men  oversell  their  prospects. 

But  no  matter  how  diffident  you  feel  about  it — no  matter 
how  great  your  hesitation,  the  secret  of  success  lies  in 
driving  in  and  bearing  down  for  the  order  just  the  second 
you  feel  the  time  is  ripe. 

And — if  you  follow  the  rules,  you'll  get  the  order. 

Here  they  are: 

(1)  Bring  your  man  to  the  buying  point. 

(2)  The  minute  you  feel  he  is  ready  try  to  take  his 
order. 


personal  ISelliny  180 

(3)  Don't  directly  ask  him  to  buy.  Without  giving 
offense,  take  it  for  granted  he  is  purchasing  and 
start  settling  up  the  details  just  as  if  ho  had 
verbally  said  "Yes." 

(4)  If  he  is  not  ready  to  buy,  drop  your  order  book  and 
start  selling  him  again. 

And  remember,  no  matter  how  yon  interest  your  pros- 
pect in  your  approacii — no  matter  how  convincing  your 
demonstration — no  matter  how  strong  his  desire  for  your 
proposition,  all  the  work  that  has  gone  before  is  wasted 
— absolutely  lost — if  you  fail  actually  to  get  the  order. 

KEEPING    HIM    SOLD 

One  of  the  earlier  students  of  what  we  might  call  * '  stand- 
ardized salesmanship"  used  to  define  it  as  *'the  selling 
of  goods  at  a  profit."  That  shut  out  the  fellow  who  cut 
prices  or  paid  no  attention  to  profit.  He  wasn't  a  sales- 
man at  all. 

And  for  years  that  definition  held  good. 

But  along  with  modem  thoughts  on  business  lines  comes 
a  new  definition  which  expresses  the  whole  philosophy  of 
commerce :  ''Salesmanship  consists  of  selling  goods  that 
don't  come  back  to  people  who  do  come  back." 

Stop  and  think  it  over. 

The  salesman  of  today  is  more  than  a  mere  seller  of  goods 
at  a  profit. 

If  he  is  a  real  man,  he  creates  re-order  insurance  every 
time  he  makes  a  trip. 


186  Salesmanship 

Stop  and  ask  yourself  one  question.  The  answer  con- 
stitutes the  secret  of  bringing  success  to  the  "rtth  power" 
in  salesmanship. 

Here's  the  question: 

"How  can  I  make  every  new  sale  mto  a  satisBed 
customer — one  who  never  stops  buying  and  recom- 
mending my  goods  ? ' ' 

Let's  consider  a  few  phases  of  the  answer. 

In  the  j&rst  place,  the  primary  step  toward  building  a  big 
business  in  any  line  is  to  pick  proper  representatives. 

There's  neither  honor  nor  profit  in  selling  a  merchant 
whose  credit  is  bad — who  won't  pay  his  bills  or  is  slow 
in  meeting  his  obligations. 

And  by  the  same  token,  that  kind  of  merchant  won't 
sell  enough  of  your  goods  to  wad  a  fair-sized  gun. 

He  isn't  the  man  you  want. 

To  make  a  success  in  selling,  first  pick  successes  to  sell  to. 

For — the  fellow  who  makes  money  for  himself  can  and 
will  make  money  for  you  and  your  house. 

DEALER   HELP 

Then — when  you've  got  the  right  merchants,  educate 
them. 


Personal  Selling  187 

Show  'em  how  to  sell  your  goods  to  the  consumer. 

Talk  with  the  clerks.  After  all,  they  are  the  fellows  who 
wait  on  80  per  cent  of  the  trade  in  the  retail  stores  of 
America. 

No  matter  how  kindly  the  proprietor  may  feel  toward 
you  and  your  products,  if  the  clerks  are  uninterested  or 
don't  know  how  to  sell  it,  you  don't  get  the  re-orders. 

It  takes  salesmanship  to  open  a  new  account. 

But  it  only  takes  common-sense  and  intelligent  work  to 
hold  it. 

You  can't  get  an  honest  order  from  a  merchant  who  still 
has  on  his  shelves  a  full  quota  of  the  goods  you  sold  him 
last  trip  around. 

So — let  your  customer  calls  serve  a  dual  purpose:  keep 
the  merchants  enthusiastic  and  show  the  clerks  how  to 
sell  the  customer. 

And — in  educating  retail  clerks  and  dealers,  just  remem- 
ber that  the  same  points  that  sold  the  merchant  won't 
sell  the  consumer. 

Here's  what  I  mean. 

The  merchant  buys  to  re-sell  at  a  profit.  He  is  interested 
in  quality  only  as  trade  insurance.  Salability  and  profit 
are  what  appeal  to  him. 

The  consumer  is  the  man  who  is  interested  in  the  product 
itself ;  the  consumer  is  the  man  your  merchandise  is  made 


188  Salesmanship 

for.  So — in  educating  the  clerks  show  them  the  points 
which  appeal  to  the  consumer  and  how  to  talk  them  in- 
telhgently. 

Just  a  little  effort  every  day  multiplied  by  the  three 
hundred  odd  working  days  of  the  year  will  put  an  army 
of  salesmen  in  your  territory  who  will  carry  on  your 
work  whether  you  are  there  or  not. 

You  can  leave  a  little  of  yourself  in  eveiy  store  that  buys 
your  goods  and  be  a  stronger  man  for  it. 

When  you've  a  clientele  that  knows  how  to  sell  your 
product  and  wants  to  sell  it,  you  won't  have  to  argue  for 
re-orders. 

Empty  shelves  will  do  that  for  you. 

The  Rewabd 

American-plan  hotels,  small  cpuntry  to\vns,  dirty  day- 
coaches,  and  hard  beds  are  not  the  most  conducive  things 
in  the  world  to  helping  a  man  gain  and  retain  the  in- 
spiration and  mental  attitude  that  win  success. 

But  remember,  brother,  many  a  big  man  has  traveled  the 
same  road  before  you. 

And  under  the  magic  touch  of  his  determination  and  in- 
spiration, the  dingy  leather  seat  in  the  lobby  of  the  Codds 
House  turned  to  the  luxurious  tapestry  of  the  Ritz 
Carlton;  the  rattly  bus,  like  Cinderella's  pumpkin,  gav« 


Personal  Selling  189 

way  to  a  limousine ;  aud  all  because  he  held  true  to  what 
he  knew — that  he  could  make  a  success  if  he  tried. 

You  cau;  you  will. 

Let  your  work  be  your  education ;  the  men  you  meet,  your 
school  books ;  your  territory,  your  classroom.  Use  them 
as  the  university  of  experience  to  graduate  you  into  the 
big  field  of  business. 

Don't  let  a  gray  day  and  a  seven-week  trip  throw  you 
into  the  rut  of  letting  well  enough  alone. 

Only  small  men  land  in  ruts.  Ruts  are  too  small  to  hold 
the  big  man.  That  kind  of  a  fellow  carves  a  niche  for 
himself  in  the  hall  of  fame. 

Rigid  adherence  to  a  fixed  determination  wins  the 
heights. 

And  you're  in  a  profession  where  the  will  finds  the  way 
every  time. 

You're  studying  the  fundamentals  of  business— the  men 
who  make  it  up;  you're  equipping  yourself  for  the  things 
ahead — equipping  with  knowledge,  with  power  over  other 
men,  with  all  the  things  that  the  captain  must  have  to 
win  his  rank. 

TEST  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  are  the  salary  limits  to  a  good  salesman  ? 

2.  How  do  you  distinguish  the  order- taker  from  the  salesman? 

3.  What  are  three  good  arguments  for  the  use  of  a  stand- 
ardized sales  canvass  in  the  selling  of  goods? 


190  Salesmanship 

4.  Wliat  are  the  throe  st^^'ps  in  the  making  of  a  sale? 

5.  IIow  does  a  salesman  overcome  the  average  man's  instinc- 
tive ant<igonism  to  ])t'iiig  sold? 

6.  What  are  the  two  most  important  factors  in  the  successful 
approach  ? 

7.  What  things  does  the  salesman  attempt  to  accomplish  in 
the  demonstration  ? 

8.  Why  is  it  necessary  for  the  salesman  to  be  master  of  the 
situation  during  the  entire  sale? 

9.  W^hat  practical  suggestions  have  you  to  make  for  meeting 
objections  on  the  part  of  the  prospect? 

10.  Explain  the  right  way  and  the  wrong  way  to  proceed  in 
closing  the  order. 

11.  What  great  principle  must  a  salesman  bear  in  mind  so  as 
not  to  cut  off  an  interview  prematurely? 

12.  What  is  the  practical  definition  of  salesmansliip  given  in 
this  milestone  ? 

13.  Why  is  "keeping  him  sold"  such  an  important  factor  in 
salesmanship? 

14.  What  practical  suggestions  are  made  for  the  use  of  dealer 
help? 


PART  TWO  — SALES  ADMINISTRATION 

DIVISION  I 
the  product  and  its  distribution 

The  First  Principle  of  Distribution 

The  show  that  pleases  the  people  gets  the  crowds. 

The  hotel  the  public  likes  is  always  full. 

The  choice  of  the  majority  of  American  voters  is  elected 
President  of  the  United  States. 

It  isn't  what  you  like  or  what  /  like  or  what  Smith  pre- 
fers; the  one  question  we're  all  trying  to  answer  is, 
"What  do  the  majority  of  the  consumers  want?" 

Kittrick,  the  druggist,  is  a  wizard  at  picking  goods  that 
move  readily  off  his  shelves.  His  personal  tastes  typify 
the  choice  of  the  majority  of  his  trade ;  he  seems  instinc- 
tively to  know  what  his  customers  ivant — what  they  will 
buy.  His  business  grows  by  leaps  and  bounds ;  Kittrick 's 
business  and  Kittrick 's  bank  balance  loom  larger  every 
year. 

Naturally  his  personality,  his  store,  and  his  service  have 
played  their  part  in  Kittrick 's  growth,  but  if  he  didn't 

191 


VJ'2  Salesmanship 

i^ve  people  what  they  want,  all  those  other  things  would 
not  count. 

The  majority  of  his  purchases  are  made  through  the 
Jeiferson  Wholesale  Drug  Company,  biggest  jobbers  west 
of  New  York  City.  Their  policies  are  sound;  their  ter- 
ritories are  well  covered;  their  deliveries  are  prompt. 
But  the  one  thing  that  is  responsible  for  the  rapid  growth 
of  "the  Jefferson  Wholesale  Drug  Company  is  that  they 
stock  and  list  just  exactly  what  Kittrick  and  thousands 
of  other  successful  retailers  like  him  want  and  demand. 

The  manufacturers  from  whom  the  Jefferson  Wholesale 
Drug  Company  purchase  ''break  their  necks"  to  give 
them  just  what  they  want. 

The  Jefferson  Wholesale  Drug  Company  build  their  busi- 
ness on  a  basis  of  giving  the  retail  druggist  what  Jic 
wants. 

Consumer  Demand 

And  what  the  retailer  wants  is  what  his  custo)ncrs 
demand. 

That's  the  cycle  of  sales.  It  all  hinges  around  that  one 
fpH'stion,  "What  does  the  ultimate  consumer  want?"  For 
the  only  man  that  really  counts  is  the  fellow  who  finally 
buys  and  uses  the  goods. 

And  the  nearer  every  man  who  is  engaged  in  maiiurac- 
turing  or  marketing  comes  to  answering  correctly  in  his 
product  the  question  of  consumer  demand,  the  closer  he 
is  to  havimr  more  business  than  he  can  handle. 


DistribtUwn  of  Product  193 

You  simply  can't  get  away  from  it. 

By  the  laws  of  precedent  and  practice  you  are  in  the 
hands  of  the  consumers  to  whom  your  product  finally 
goes. 

DEMAND   FOR   FRESH    GOODS 

Why  do  you  suppose  Kellogg  seals  his  Corn  Flakes  in  a 
waxed  paper  package? 

Just  one  reason:  The  consumer  wants  corn  flakes  fresh 
and  crisp ;  the  waxed  paper  helps  to  keep  them  so. 

If  the  ultimate  consumer  preferred  moist,  soggy  corn 
flakes,  you  can  wager  your  bottom  dollar  that  Kellogg's 
packages  would  carry  moist  blotting  paper  to  keep  the 
damp  in  instead  of  waxed  paper  to  keep  it  out. 

DEMAND    FOR    SELF-STARTERS 

Are  automobiles  equipped  with  self-starters  because  the 
manufacturer  wants  to  put  them  on? 

No  I 

There's  a  self-starter  on  your  car  because  the  majority 
of  auto-users  don't  want  to  crank  their  car  by  hand. 

When  a  man  says  something  about  creating  demand  he 
really  means  awakening  it,  because  if  the  latent  demand 
doesn't  exist  in  the  public  mind  the  product  will  not  and 
can  not  make  a  lasting  success. 


194  Salesmanship 

DEMAND    FOR    THE    OIL    MOP 

About  six  years  ago  a  colored  man  in  southern  Illinois 
compounded  from  various  oils  a  furniture  and  floor  i)ol- 
isb  to  wliicli  lie  gave  a  scriptural  name. 

He  interested  a  brick  manufacturer  in  the  article  and  its 
possibilities,  and  they  became  partners. 

Side  by  side  with  a  mop  pail  in  the  brick  manufacturer's 
office  stood  a  bucket  of  the  polish. 

The  porter  who  cleaned  out  the  place  replaced  his  mop 
in  the  pail  of  polish,  by  mistake. 

And  the  result  of  that  mistake  was  the  first  oil  mop. 

More  as  a  novelty  than  anything  else  the  brick  manu- 
facturer decided  to  market  along  with  the  furniture  polish 
an  oil-soaked  mop  for  hardwood  floors. 

There  were  a  thousand  and  one  furniture  polishes  on 
the  market.  Competition  was  keen  and  his  furniture 
polisli  really  made  no  greater  appeal  to  public  demand 
than  the  other  fellow's  product. 

But  although  they  themselves  didn't  realize  it,  every 
woman  who  had  a  hardwood  floor  was  in  the  market  for 
something  which  would  quickly  and  efficient ly  Inkc  up  the 
dust  and  polish  the  surface. 

And  the  first  articlo  ever  offered  to  supply  this  latent 
demand  was  the  accidentally  discovered  oil  mop. 


Distribution  of  Product  195 

The  oil  mop  spread  like  wildfire. 

One  housewife  told  another  and  the  whole  town  went  ''oil 
mop  crazy." 

Let's  stop  right  here  a  moment. 

Did  that  man  create  the  demand  for  an  oil  mop? 

No.  His  product  simply  supplied  a  latent  demand  which 
already  existed  for  something  that  would  quickly  clean 
and  polish  hardwood  floors. 

The  demand  was  there  and  had  been  for  years.  His  mop, 
crude  as  it  was,  represented  the  first  attempt  to  supply  it. 

From  this  accidental  soaking  of  an  old  mop  with  furni- 
ture polish  has  grown  in  five  years  what  amounts  to 
practically  a  new  industry.  There  are  a  dozen  or  more 
good-sized  oil-mop  manufacturers  in  America  today.  As 
a  business,  it  totals  many  millions  of  dollars  in  volume. 

Yet  the  originator — the  fellow  who  marketed  the  first  oil 
mop — the  pioneer — is  one  of  the  smallest  in  the  field  to- 
day. 

Wliy? 

He  rested  on  his  oars — felt  that  the  sheer  consumer  de- 
mand for  what  he  made  would  carry  him  through.  He 
failed  to  lay  his  plans,  organize  his  distribution,  and  per- 
fect his  product.  The  wonderful  opportunity  that  fate 
placed  in  this  man's  hands  has  paid  him  only  pennies 


iyt>  Salesman  sJdp 

wliore  under  proper  management  it  ^ould  have  paid  gold 
dollars — yes,  and  more — 

SuppLYiN(;  THK  Demand 

Which  brings  us  to  another  big  point,  namely,  that  even 
the  best  product  in  the  world  will  not  sell  itself. 

The  minute  you  improve  your  product,  the  minute  you 
market  a  new  article,  the  eyes  of  competition  liegin  to 
cast  about  for  something  to  make  their  product  equally 
good. 

To  cash  in,  you've  got  to  strike  while  the  iron  is  hot — gain 
a  lead  that  competition  can't  overcome,  and  to  do  this 
your  sales  work  and  your  sales  force  must  be  so  organ- 
ized that  you  can  market  overnight  what  it  takes  other 
people  six  months  to  merchandise. 

It  is  no  longer  a  problem  solely  of  manufacture  with  an 
eager  public  waiting  to  pui-chase  and  consume.  Distribu- 
tion and  selling  must  now  be  brought  to  the  point  where 
you  can  reach  quickly  and  effectively  the  great  masses  of 
distributors  and  customers. 

TIh'  carburetor  salesman,  if  yon  talk  to  him  long  enough, 
will  advance  fads  and  figures  practically  to  prove  that 
your  whole  car  hinges  on  its  carburetor.  Yet  your  com- 
mon sense  tells  you  that  there  are  other  parts  equally,  if 
not  more,  important. 

The  adxcrtising  man  will  tdl  you: 

"When  people  know  your  goods  they  will  ask  for 
them." 


IHsirlhution  of  Prodiuf  197 

That  statement  is  truthful  enough  but  incomplete.  On 
the  face  of  it,  it  makes  advertising  the  ''whole  car," 
whereas  in  reality  it  is  just  one  part.  An  auto  can't  run 
without  a  carburetor,  but  a  business  man  can  succeed 
without  advertising. 

There's  more  to  an  automobile  than  a  carburetor;  there's 
more  to  an  industrial  success  than  just  good  advertising. 

What  goes  before  the  advertising  is  just  as  important — 
yes,  more  so — than  the  publicity  itself.  Here's  about  the 
way  sound  instructions  on  how  to  advertise  would  run: 

Make  a  reliable  product  that  appeals  to  the  con- 
sumer. Secure  a  representative  distribution  among 
dealers  who  understand  your  product  and  are  will- 
ing to  push  it.  Then — advertise  so  people  will 
know  your  goods  and  try  them. 

For — at  best — advertising,  direct  mail  order  work  ex- 
cepted, is  but  one  link  in  the  merchandising  and  selling 
chain  and  all  the  other  factors  must  be  present  before 
resultful  publicity  is  possible. 

Gi\4ng  the  consumer  what  he  wants  does  not  by  any 
means  entail  any  decided  changes  in  the  character  of  a 
product. 

The  addition  of  one  little  feature  may  make  a  product  of 
which  there  are  literally  hundreds  of  makes,  appeal  just 
a  little  more  to  the  consumer,  and  that  little  more  swings 
the  scales  its  way. 

One  tooth-brush  manufacturer  put  a  hole  in  the  end  of  his 
brush  and  enclosed  in  his  package  a  screw  to  hang  it  on. 


198  Salesmanship 

The  first  fellow  wlio  covered  tlio  working  parts  of  an  clc 
trie   washing   machine   reaped    a   harvest   of   incr(»as('(l 
orders. 

Fundamentally  his  machine  was  no  different  from  ten  or 
more  others.  But  he  cashed  in  on  the  fact  that  the  buyer 
wanted  a  machine  which  had  no  exposed  working  parts  to 
catch  and  maim  unwary  fingers. 

In  the  straight  specialty  line,  where  selling  expense  some- 
times exceeds  the  cost  of  making  the  article,  some  manu- 
facturer may  feel  that  this  line  of  reasoning  does  not 
apply  to  his  product — that  a  demand  has  to  be  created  in 
each  case  before  the  sale  is  made. 

His  salesmen  may  say,  "No  man  wants  what  I  oJffer  when 
I  enter  his  door.    I  have  to  make  him  want  it." 

Nonsense.  The  article  where  demand  doesn't  exist, 
whether  it  be  active  or  latent,  simply  doesn't  sell. 

There  may  be  no  active  demand  for  the  blank  check  per- 
forator. But — there  are  thousands  of  concerns  issuing 
checks  who  want  their  paper  protected  against  raising. 

And  tlio  bhmk  check  perforator  supplies  this  demand. 
The  salesmen  don't  create  demand;  they  awaken  it  and 
connect  it  vp  with  what  they  sell. 

The  self-shavers  of  America  felt  no  need  for  shaving 
sticks.  But  shaving  sticks,  as  a  quicker,  handier  method 
of  hitlicring  than  the  old-fashioned  soap  and  cup  and 
brush,  found  a  market  and  a  big  one. 


Distribution  of  Product  199 

Selling  Factors 

Your  product,  whatever  it  may  be,  can  correctly  be 
divided  into  four  component  parts,  namely: 

(1)  Demand 

(2)  Quality 

(3)  Features 

(4)  Price 

DEMAND 

The  basic  fundamental  of  any  product  is  demand. 

If  you  are  making  work  shoes,  you  know  that  there  is  an 
established  market,  a  regular,  steady  consumption  of  this 
class  of  merchandise.  So — your  question  of  demand 
resolves  itself  into  a  question  of  turning  trade  to  your 
particular  brand  of  shoes. 

One  man  spent  twenty  years  perfecting  a  machine  that 
was  so  near  human  as  to  be  almost  uncanny  in  its  work. 

For  the  convenience  of  their  customers  and  salesmen, 
paint  manufacturers  issue  what  they  call  ''color  cards." 
These  cards  carry  small  oblong  pieces  of  painted  paper 
showing  all  the  different  shades  of  paint.  Owing  to  limi- 
tations of  printing,  to  do  the  shades  justice,  large  sheets 
of  paper  are  painted  by  hand,  dried,  cut  to  the  size,  and 
then  pasted  by  hand  on  each  color  card. 

The  machine  this  fellow  spent  twenty  years  on  did  the 
work  of  ten  girls ;  it  affixed  the  oblong  shade  papers  auto- 
matically to  the  color  cards. 


200  Salesmanship 

But  the  entire  United  States  offered  a  market,  all  told, 
for  only  about  twenty  of  these  machines. 

Demand  was  practically  nothing. 

On  the  other  hand,  another  man  invented  a  metal  cap  for 
closing  bottles  to  repUice  corks.  Consider  tlie  demand  for 
this  article  and  you  will  realize  the  enormous  fortune  this 
invention  paid. 

If  the  demand  for  your  product  is  large  and  active,  your 
problem  is  to  center  as  much  of  it  as  possible  on  what 
you  make. 

Demand  for  soda  crackers  was  great  when  '*Uneeda" 
entered  the  field.  They  have  been  so  successful  in  center- 
ing soda  cracker  demand  around  their  product  that  there 
have  been  over  four  hundred  imitations  and  infringe- 
ments of  their  trade-mark  and  the  **Uneeda"  name  alone 
is  valued  today  at  $6,000,000. 

If  the  demand  for  what  you  make  is  latent  or  partly  so, 
your  big  problem  is  a  selling  one,  namely,  how  to  awaken 
this  demand  and  supply  it  with  your  product. 

QUALITY 

The  next  consideration  comes  in  the  form  of  that  much 
abused  word  "quality-."  In  this  connection,  I  use  the 
word  ** quality"  as  iiidioating  a  degree  of  worth  high 
enough  to  satisfy  thoroughly  the  man  who  ultimately 
uses  the  article. 

The  day  of  "Caveat  Emptor"  has  long  passed.  Instead 
of  letting  the  buyer  beware  lest  he  get  poor  goods,  let  the 


Distribution  of  Product  201 

seller  heivare  lest  he  give  goods  not  good  enough  to  bring 
the  man  back  again. 

For  these  days  business  is  built  on  repeat  trade.  Like 
the  merry-go-round,  we  must  come  round  again  and  the 
biggest  assets  of  any  stable  business  are  its  oldest  cus- 
tomers: 

FEATUEES 

Put  your  own  construction  on  the  division  I  have  entitled 

*  *  FEATURES. ' ' 

Your  interpretation  depends  upon  your  business. 

In  wrapping  paper,  the  feature  of  a  product  might  be  its 
low  price,  due  to  economy  in  manufacture. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  feature  of  another  wrappjjig  paper 
might  be  its  light  weight  and  strength. 

Then,  again,  the  feature  of  still  another  paper  might  be 
its  appearance. 

If  you  were  making  overalls  for  workingmen,  the  first 
consideration — the  big  feature — would  probably  be  dura- 
bility— wear-qualities. 

The  features  of  your  particular  product  represent  that 
about  it  which  in  the  last  analysis  appeals  most  to  the 
man  or  woman  who  ultimately  uses  it. 

PRICE 

The  last  division  is  "price."  Considering  first  the  qual- 
ity of  what  you  make,  your  price  must  be  reasonable ;  it 


202  Salesmanship 

must  be  in  accord  with  other  similar  articles  of  equal 
value  or  merit. 

Your  price  to  the  consumer  must  be  what  he  wants  to  pay 
for  an  article  of  the  grade  and  convenience  you  offer. 

And  \\'ith  this  price  to  the  consumer  you  must  include : 

(a)  Cost  of  manufacture  plus  general  overhead 

(b)  Soiling  cost 

(c)  A  proHt  for  yourself 

(d)  A  pr(^t  for  the  distributor  or  retailer 

But  the  man  who  goes  out  to  market  an  article  on  price 
alone — on  a  low  price — is  making  a  bad  business  move. 
He  is  handicapping  himself  and  stamping  his  product 
"cheap."  He  is  making  as  big  a  mistake  as  the  fellow 
who  asks  more  than  his  goods  are  worth. 

All  these  things  combine  to  make  the  ideal  product — the 
easily  marketable  product — which  brings  repeat  orders 
and  steady  business. 

Demaih)  plus  quality  plus  featuees  plus  price. 

I  wonder  if  you  haven't  sometimes  compared  the  discrep- 
ancies between  cost  to  make  and  selling  prices  in  various 
businesses  and  wondered  how  the  other  fellow  "got  away 
with  it." 

For  instance,  the  shoe  manufacturer  whose  selling  cost 
averages  about  7  per  cent  looks  fighast  at  the  computing 
scale  manufacturer  who  pays  his  salesmen  a  40  per  cent 
commission. 


Distnhution  of  Product  203 

Both  these  selling  costs  are  included  in  the  price  the  con- 
sumer pays. 

And  yet  in  both  cases  the  price  to  the  consumer  is  equi- 
table. 

The  consumer  buys  shoes  because  he  needs  them. 

The  butcher  needs  a  scale  but  doesn't  realize  it. 

The  shoe  purchaser  buys.    The  scale  buyer  is  sold. 

And  because  in  the  natural  course  of  things  it  takes  more 
salesmanship  to  make  a  butcher  or  grocer  buy  something 
which  he  at  first  doesn't  feel  the  need  for,  the  scale  sales- 
man gets  40  per  cent  as  against  the  shoe  salesman's  7. 

Let's  see  how  both  articles  work  out  in  the  hands  of  the 
men  who  use  them. 

The  man  who  buys  shoes  unknowingly  pays  a  7  per  cent 
selling  cost  because  a  good  salesman  has  placed  a  par- 
ticularly meritorious  brand  in  the  store  where  he  bought. 

He  gets  full  value  out  of  his  shoes. 

The  butcher  up  to  the  time  he  put  in  the  computing  scale 
lost  money  by  errors  in  computing  weights  and  prices  of 
meats.  The  scale  saves  him  money;  it  pays  for  itself  year 
after  year  and  surely  it  was  Avorth  the  40  per  cent  selling 
cost  which  he  unknowingly  paid  to  have  this  continual 
money-saver  brought  into  his  store. 


204  Salesmanship 

The  law  of  averages  governs  the  per  cent  cost  of  sales. 
The  harder  an  article  is  to  sell,  the  more  it  costs  to  markei 
it;  the  easier  the  sales  come,  the  lower  the  expense. 

And — as  a  final  proof  that  in  spite  of  these  widely  variant 
selling  costs  trade  is  just  and  equitable,  at  the  end  of  the 
year  the  computing  scale  company  declares  the  same  div- 
idend on  its  grods  sales  as  the  shoe  manufacturers. 

Factors  in  Distribution 

"Working  inclusive  from  manufacturer  to  consumer  in 
general  lines  of  trade,  we  find  twelve  big  steps  or  factors 
in  distribution. 

These  factors  are  as  follows : 

(1)  Manufacturer  (7)   The  Jobber 

(2)  Sales  Policy  (8)  Jobber 's  Salesmen 

(3)  Sales  Direction  (9)   New  Dealers 

(4)  Employing  New  Men  (10)  Old  Dealers 

(5)  Training  Old  Men  (11)   Retail  Clerks 

(6)  The  Salesman  (12)   Consumers 

All  these  factors  play  their  part  before  your  product 
reaches  the  ultimate  consumer  through  the  ordinary  chan- 
nels of  trade. 

For  instance,  a  manufacturer  of  heavy  machinery  selling 
direct  to  bottlers,  whose  salesmen  are  calling  on  the  ulti- 
mate consumer,  may  trutlifuJly  say,  **It  doesn't  exactly 
apply  to  my  business." 

But — his  business  is  in  the  minorit}'-  and  he  will  find 
enough  material  of  value  to  him  in  this  work  easily  to 
counter-balance  what  doesn't  directly  apply. 


Distribution  of  Product  i06 

Thtt  above  as  an  explanation — not  ao  apology. 

The  well-balanced  business  must  be  governed  by  certain 
clear,  definite,  strictly  adhered  to  sales  policies,  embrac- 
ing prices,  discounts,  methods  of  distribution,  etc. 

Sales  direction  is  as  important  in  business  as  the  work 
of  a  general  in  directing  his  army.  The  difference  be- 
tween efiScient  and  hit-or-miss  sales  direction  spells 
the  difference  between  profits  that  can  easily  be  lost  and 
maximum  returns  from  the  efforts  of  all  concerned. 

Emplojdng  new  salesmen?  Where  are  you  going  to  get 
them?  How  are  you  going  to  pay  them?  How  can  you 
insure  maximum  successes  from  new  men  put  in  the  field! 
All  these  questions  must  be  answered. 

Then  the  problem  of  training  of  new  salesmen  so  that 
they  will  be  fit  and  productive  representatives.  What  is 
the  best  way  to  do  this  ? 

Again,  the  salesmen  as  a  class — the  men  you  now  have 
in  the  field.  How  are  you  going  to  keep  them  working? 
How  are  you  going  to  direct  their  work — keep  in  touch 
vnilOi  them  and  ttieir  territories? 

If  you  are  distributing  through  the  jobber,  how  are  you 
going  to  sell  him  in  the  first  place  ?  What  can  you  do  to 
help  his  men  in  turn  re-dispose  of  your  product  to  the 
trade? 

Then  back  to  the  direct  problem  of  yonr  own  saJesmen. 
How  can  they  best  go  about  getting  new  customers  ?  What 
can  they  do  to  develop  the  business  of  old  trade  and  help 


206 


Salcsuwnship 


Progres-      \     Reputation      /  \ 

sjveness        ^  A      '"^<='°T'       1/ 

\  y(Organization) 


PRODUCT 

JDemand 

Quality 

Features 

Pnce 

1 

>/Sale3  \. 
y^     Policy        \^ 

\     Sale, 

D.-  ^ 

FlQ.  4. — The  Distribution  Proceis 


Distribution  of  Product  207 

retailers  dispose  of  an  increased  quantity  of  your 
product? 

What  can  you  do  to  enlist  the  retail  clerk  on  your  side  and 
get  him  back  of  your  goods? 

And — how  are  you  going  to  enlist  all  of  these  forces  to- 
gether to  influence,  by  that  strongest  of  all  advertising- 
word  of  mouth  publicity  of  the  one  man  or  woman  who 
really  counts,  the  ultimate  consumer? 

The  balance  of  this  book  is  designed  to  answer  these 
questions. 

TEST  QUESTIONS 

1.  Wliat  is  meant  by  the  expression  "consumer  demand"? 

2.  What  factor  in  consumer  demand  did  Kellogg  recognize 
when  he  sealed  his  corn  flakes  in  waxed  paper  packages? 

3.  What  made  possible  the  success  of  the  oil  map  ? 

4.  Why  is  mere  publicity  or  advertising  in  itself  not  sufficient 
to  insure  the  successful  distribution  of  goods? 

5.  What  are  the  four  selhng  factors  by  which  the  selling 
qualities  of  any  product  may  be  judged? 

6.  Make  a  list  of  at  least  six  different  products  which  have 
built  a  demand  ai'ound  themselves  similar  to  that  of  the  "Uneeda 
Biscuits." 

7.  What  does  the  author  say  in  regard  to  the  new  business 
interpretation  of  the  old  principle  of  "Caveat  Emptor"? 

8.  Do  you  train  your  observational  power  for  detecting  the 
"feature"  quality  in  goods  by  analyzing  everj^thing  that  you 
have  to  sell  and  everything  that  you  buy  from  that  point  of  view ". 

9.  What  factors  are  included  in  the  price  to  the  consumer  ? 

10.  What  are  some  of  the  elements  that  enter  into  the  selling 
cost  ? 

11.  Explain  why  certain  specialties  have  an  unusually  high 
selling  cost. 

12.  What  are  the  twelve  factors  in  distribution  ? 


DIVISION  II 
sound  selling  policies 

Value  of  Sound  Policies 

The  great  bulk  of  merchandise  manufactured  in  Amer- 
ica reaches  the  ultimate  consumer  through  retail  chan- 
nels. 

Consequently  we  will  deal  with  selling  policies  from  that 
angle. 

At  the  same  time  the  manufacturer  whose  salesmen  call 
directly  upon  the  final  users  of  his  product  will  find  much 
of  the  material  in  this  division  applicable  to  his  partic- 
ular situation. 

Just  as  the  community  in  which  you  live  has  fixed  laws 
to  govern  current,  often  recurring  conditions,  certain 
laws  should  be  evolved  to  govern  the  general  selling  pol- 
icies of  your  business. 

And  once  decided  upon,  these  policies  should  be  adhered 
to  as  strictly  as  a  well-operated  railioad  keeps  its  trains 
limning  per  time  table. 

Definite  sales  policies  do  away  with  the  annoyance  of 
being  continually  called  upon  to  decide  petty,  minor  ques- 

208 


Sellmg  Policies  209 

tions;  they  prevent  complicated  situations  and  keep  the 
road  clear  for  rapid  progress. 

No  one  man  should  decide  the  question  of  what  these  pol- 
icies are  to  be.  They  must,  to  be  sound,  represent  the 
consensus  of  opinion  of  the  executives  of  the  institution 
as  a  body. 

Pkice 

The  first  policy  to  be  decided  upon  is  price. 

Get  out  your  cost  sheets;  call  a  conference;  decide  on 
what  the  prices  shall  be  all  the  way  up  and  down  the  line 
of  distribution ;  get  your  quantity  discounts  fixed. 

Put  the  whole  thing  dowTi  on  paper. 

And — let  your  price  list  be  your  price  policy;  stick  to  it. 

More  especially  in  lines  distributed  through  the  retailer, 
prices  must  be  as  firmly  fixed  as  the  pyramids. 

It  is  absolute  commercial  dishonesty  to  have  one  price 
for  one  man  and  another  figure  for  another  fellow  on 
the  same  goods  in  the  same  quantity  under  the  same  sell- 
ins:  conditions. 


-& 


And  in  these  days  of  close  retail  associations,  it  is  only  a 
question  of  time  before  somebody  starts  comparing  notes, 
and  that's  fatal  to  the  manufacturer  with  rubber  in  his 
price  list. 


210  Salesmanship 

And  evorj'  manufacturer  \vlio  has  liivon  his  salesmen  lee- 
way on  the  price  question  knows  that  if  given  an  inch 
tliey'll  take  a  mile  every  time. 

For  the  salesman  who  knows  that  his  company  will  cut 
prices  under  pressure  almost  invariably  brings  that  pres- 
sure to  bear.    The  result  is  slashed  profits. 

Apart  from  comparing  notes  with  each  other,  retailers 
soon  grow  to  know  the  manufacturers  whose  prices  are 
elastic. 

You  yourself  can  have  but  little  confidence  in  the  clothing 
store  whose  price  tags  are  only  a  basis  for  dickering. 

And  on  the  same  principle  exactly,  the  retailer  has  but 
very  little  confidence  in  the  manufacturer  whose  prices 
can  be  forced  down  by  shrewd  buying  and  trading. 

Set  your  prices  at  a  fair  figure.  Put  them  where  both 
you  and  the  retailer  can  make  an  honest  profit. 

Offer  quantity  discounts  if  it  is  advisable,  but  don't  give 
tlie  discounts  except  where  the  (juantity  is  purchased. 

A  fixed  price  basis  constitutes  a  basic  sales  policy  that 
furnishes  the  right  kind  of  a  foundation  for  big  business. 

About  six  years  ago  the  writer  was  called  into  consulta- 
tion with  a  large  manufacturer  whose  product  was  dis- 
tributed through  hardware  stores  and  lumbermen. 

There  were  6,200  customers  on  their  ledgers. 


Selling  Policies  211 

And  in  a  big  card  index  file  they  had  one  card  for  each 
customer  showing  the  prices  he  bought  at.  6,200  price 
cards!    Think  of  it! 

To  all  intents  and  purposes  this  concern's  prices  were 
whatever  the  salesman  sold  at  and  whatever  the  retailer 
would  pay  for  the  goods. 

Unfair?    Decidedly  so! 

Smith,  in  Bloomington,  bought  a  carload  per  year  for 
$1.75  per  unit. 

Jones,  in  Springfield,  purchasing  about  half  as  much  as 
Smith,  was  buying  identically  the  same  stuff  for  $1.00 
per  unit. 

Competitors,  beginning  to  realize  this  situation,  were 
using  it  as  a  leverage  in  displacing  our  client's  product. 

Merchants  were  comparing  notes  at  conventions  and  the 
result  was  lost  customers. 

The  price  situation  was  the  result  of  a  phenomenal  growth 
in  a  comparatively  short  space  of  time.  And  the  larger 
the  business  grew,  the  more  complicated  and  unhealthy 
the  price  situation  became. 

At  the  time  when  we  were  called  in,  those  6,200  price 
cards  were  fast  becoming  a  menace  to  the  future  of  the 
institution. 

In  the  course  of  our  investigation  we  found  that  net 
profits  were  lower  in  this  particular  concern   than   in 


212  Salesmanship 

others  in  the  same  industry.  This  was  largely  due 
to  the  fact  that  the  majority  of  their  salesmen  took  advan- 
tage of  the  situation  and  sold  at  the  low  rather  than  the 
high  prices. 

After  three  weeks  of  careful  assembling  of  information, 
wo  found  that  at  a  price  scale  about  equal  to  other  man- 
ufacturers in  similar  lines,  our  client  could  net  the  same 
profit  on  three-fourths  of  his  current  volume. 

In  other  words,  they  could  lose  25  per  cent  of  their  trade 
and  still  make  as  much  money,  provided  the  remainder  of 
the  business  were  put  on  a  fixed  price  basis. 

A  few  minor  changes  wore  made  in  the  product  to  justify 
the  use  of  the  word  "Improved,"  which  we  added  to  their 
label. 

And  on  March  14,  1908,  their  first  fixed  price  scale  went 
into  effect. 

No  notices  were  sent  out  to  the  trade.  All  work  was  done 
through  the  salesmen,  who  covered  their  territories  once 
every  sixty  days. 

Each  salesman  was  called  in,  individually  instructed  on 
the  new  price  scale,  and  shown  how  the  product  had  been 
improved. 

Naturally  the  customers  who  had  been  paying  more  than 
the  new  price  scale  gladly  accepted  the  decrease. 

The  rub  came  with  the  retailers  who  had  been  purchasing 
at  less  than  the  new  price  scale  called  for. 


SeUing  Puiicies  213 

But  with  the  aid  of  the  word  ''Improved"  on  the  label 
and  the  slightly  bettered  quality  of  the  article,  our  sales- 
men won  over  a  high  percentage  of  this  class  of  trade. 

True,  we  lost  a  large  number  of  customers  who  refused 
to  pay  the  increased  prices. 

But  in  most  towns  where  we  had  a  dealer  for  any  length 
of  time,  the  brand  was  well  enough  known  to  enable  our 
men  to  open  a  new  distributor  on  the  established  prices. 

As  the  result  of  four  months  of  hard  work,  one  printed 
price  list  replaced  the  file  with  its  6,200  cards. 

The  business  was  moved  from  the  shifting  sand  base  of 
elastic  prices  to  the  bed-rock  foundation  of  a  fixed  policy 
in  this  direction. 

And  later  developments  in  this  particular  industry  proved 
that  a  continuance  along  the  original  course  would  have 
meant  inevitable  ruin. 

About  the  only  business  in  which  there  is  any  excuse  for 
different  prices  to  different  people  is  one  where  every  job 
is  a  "special"  and  prices  based  on  cost  to  manufacture 
are  submitted  in  competition. 

Selling  the  Jobber 

The  next  big  question  to  be  settled  in  most  businesses  dis- 
tributing through  the  retailer  is,  ''Shall  we  or  shall  we 
not  sell  the  jobber?" 


214  Salesmaiis]iip 

Somehow  or  other,  I  have  met  but  few  men  who  took  a 
sane,  rational  view  of  the  jobber  question.  Most  of  them 
were  either  strongly  for  or  against. 

The  jobber  worth  selHng  today — the  big  fellow — as  a  rule 
prefers  to  market  your  product  under  his  own  private 
brand. 

For  instance,  in  the  hardware  trade  the  brand  "Revenoc" 
belongs  to  Hibbard,  Spencer,  Bartlett  &  Company,  the 
''Keen  Cutter"  mark  to  Simmons,  and  the  ''Diamond 
Edge"  to  Norwall,  Shapleigh  Hardware  Company.  In 
the  grocery  trade  Sprag-ue,  Warner  own  the  "Richelieu" 
brand,  etc.,  etc.,  etc. 

In  this  connection,  it  is  hardly  necessary  even  to  discuss 
the  question  of  whether  or  not  you  want  to  supply  the 
goods  to  be  resold  under  his  mark. 

Manufacturers  supplying  these  goods  are  simply  taking 
advantage  of  an  outlet  for  a  considerable  ([nantity  of  mer- 
chandise at  a  short  margin — using  the  outlet  to  help  keep 
their  overhead  down. 

But  tlie  ultimate  good-will  effect  of  building  uj)  the  trade- 
marks go  to  the  concerns  owning  them.  A  change  in 
source  of  supply,  so  long  as  the  goods  are  uj)  to  grade, 
does  not  afTcct  the  sale. 

The  r<'al  jH'oblem  of  jobbing  distriltulion  comes  when 
your  salesmen  arc  in  the  field  selling  your  product  under 
your  own  brand. 


Selling  Policies  215 

No  jobber  will  long  refuse  to  sell  what  the  retailer  con- 
tinually asks  for  on  account  of  a  consumer  demand. 

And  if  your  field  work  has  been  intelligent  enough  and 
your  product  has  the  appeal,  first  thing  you  know  the  job- 
ber's salesmen  report  in  to  the  house  and  you  have  an 
opportunity  to  sell  a  considerable  quantity  to  jobbers  as 
against  small  lots  to  individual  dealers. 

Here  is  where  the  need  arises  for  a  definite  policy  in  this 
respect. 

First,  let  us  analyze  the  jobber  and  the  conditions  sur- 
rounding his  business. 

Jobbers  in  the  majority  of  lines  are  with  a  few  exceptions 
largely  local  institutions — confined  to  the  general  terri- 
tory in  which  their  offices  and  warehouses  are  located. 

It  is  easy  to  understand  why  this  is  so.  In  the  United 
States  there  are  56,000  grocery  stores,  27,000  furniture 
stores,  42,000  druggists,  20,000  jewelers,  30,000  hardware 
stores,  to  say  nothing  of  the  other  classes  of  dealers  who 
bring  the  total  close  to  three-fourths  of  a  million.  There 
are  148,000  general  stores  alone. 

In  your  grocery  line,  for  instance,  the  retailer  is  only 
occasionally  in  the  market  for  the  line  of  an  individual 
manufacturer  and  then  buys  only  a  small  quantity.  Con- 
sequently the  manufacturer's  salesman  is  at  best  justified 
in  caUing  only  at  long  intervals. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  grocery  jobber's  man  will  call 
every  thirty  days  or  even  oftener.    The  jobber  can  afford 


21  fi  S<i/fstna)islii/t 

to  do  this  intensified  work  on  the  territory  owing  to  the 
mnltiplicity  of  the  lines  he  handles. 

The  dealer  pnrchasing-  from  the  jobber  is  enabled  to 
order  smaller  quantities  of  individual  items  and  supply 
a  number  of  his  wants  at  one  time. 

In  many  cases  the  jobber  carries  over  the  retailer's 
accounts  on  terms  which  make  the  transaction  almost  a 
matter  of  financing  the  dealer's  business  for  him. 

So  tlie  jobbing  situation  in  general  offers  the  manufac- 
turer a  market  for  a  large  volume.  The  jobber  pays  spot 
cash  for  a  quantity  of  goods  where  the  retailer  takes  his 
time  in  paying  and  his  bookkeeping  expense  naturally 
increases  with  the  multiplied  number  of  accounts. 

Anil  the  jobber's  salesmen  cover  the  average  territory 
just  about  four  times  as  closely  as  any  individual  manu- 
facturer can  afford  to  do. 

But  as  a  matter  of  common  knowledge,  with  but  few  ex- 
ceptions, jobber's  salesmen  are  order-takers,  not  business 
creators. 

This  is  only  natinal.  They  have  so  many  lines  to  show 
and  they  have  to  make  their  towns  so  quickly  that  in  the 
first  place  they  haven't  time  to  push  any  individual  Une 
— to  do  it  justice.  Their  work  consists  for  the  most  part 
in  skimming  the  cream  of  what  the  retailer  knows  he 
wants  when  they  C4ill  and  remindiiig  him  of  a  few  season- 
able articles  he  mav  be  in  need  of. 


Selling  Policies  217 

Furthermore,  the  jobber's  salesman  as  a  class  is  a  low- 
salaried  individual  and  on  the  actual  salesmanship  score 
does  not  mark  up  very  high.  Mind  you,  he  fits  liis  place-, 
he  does  his  work  and  does  it  well ;  he  is  honest,  conscien- 
tious, and  a  hard  worker.  But  when  it  comes  to  creative 
sales  work,  he  doesn't  cash  except  in  exceptional  cases. 

If  you  ai"e  going  to  depend  on  the  jobber  to  create  a 
demand  for  your  goods,  you've  a  sad  disappointment  in 
store. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  you  are  a  young  concern  and  need 
the  money  for  the  goods  you  sell  and  need  it  quickly,  use 
the  jobber  as  a  bank.  Pay  him  his  profit  margin  in  return 
for  his  quantity  purchases,  instead  of  being  obliged  to 
await  the  pay  pleasure  of  a  hundred  and  one  individual 
retailers. 

Or — if  you  w^ant  additional  volume  to  bring  down  your 
factory  overhead,  go  to  the  jobber  and  make  a  contract 
to  supply  him  with  goods  under  his  own  brand. 

But  if  you  want  to  build  a  big  business  on  your  own  trade- 
mark and  have  it  for  your  own,  do  your  o\vn  marketing. 
No  other  man  can  possibly  take  the  same  interest  in  or 
put  the  same  steam  behind  j'our  product  that  you  will 
yourself.  And  you  can  rest  assured  that  the  day  you  sell 
a  jobber  goods  under  your  own  trade-mark,  it  is  solely 
and  simply  because  of  the  fact  that  dealers  are  calling 
for  it. 

JOBBERS    AND    EXCLUSH'^E    AGENCY    AGEEEMENTS 

Some  sad  situations  exist  where  manufacturers  are  sell- 
ing retailers  under  exclusive  agency  agTeements  and  the 
jobber  at  the  same  time. 


1218  Salesmanship 

Most  unpleasant  situations  ot"  this  kind  are  the  result  of 
rapid  growth  without  auy  decided,  far-sighted  sales 
policy  behind  it. 

I  have  in  mind  one  flourishing  western  business  that 
started  in  a  small  way,  some  ten  years  ago,  selling  the 
druggist. 

One  of  the  partners  went  on  the  road  himself  and  his  first 
calls  were  on  the  leading  drug  jobbers  of  Minneapolis  and 
Chicago. 

The  jobbers  absolutely  refused  to  purchase. 

The  Chicago  jobber  made  a  statement  which  afterwards 
turned  out  to  be  a  prophecy.  He  said,  "Come  to  me  when 
the  retailers  are  calling  for  your  brand  and  I'll  buy  it." 

Failing  to  sell  the  jobber,  this  young  concern  turned  its 
attention  to  the  retailers;  and  by  dint  of  hard  work,  a 
good  article  and  a  growing  demand  soon  placed  exclusive 
agencies  for  it  in  most  of  the  middle  western  towns. 

These  agencies  did  well — \ery  well  indeed,  and  although 
competitive  brands  were  handled  by  other  dealers,  the 
original  article  contiiined  to  prosjxT  and  grow.  The  con- 
sumer as  a  class  called  for  Robinson's  Keliable  Rubber 
Goods  instead  of  just  plain  rubber  goods. 

Just  a))Out  this  time  the  jobbers,  feeling  the  demand  for 
Robinson's  Reliable  Rul)ber  Goods,  got  in  toucii.  Dazzled 
at  the  prospect  of  big  quantity  business,  the  manufac- 
turers immediately  proceeded  to  sell  the  jobbers  under 
their  own  brand. 


Selling  Policies  219 

Now  this  is  not  the  tale  of  a  wrecked  business  or  anji;hing 
of  that  kind.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  institution  I  refer 
to  is  making  a  steady  increase  every  year,  but  this  thorn 
in  their  side,  of  their  own  placing,  is  really  a  detriment 
to  their  progress. 

It  works  two  ways. 

Their  salesmen  open  an  account — give  a  druggist  the 
exclusive  agency  for  his  town. 

He  starts  selling. 

Next  month  along  comes  the  jobber's  salesman.  He  is 
selling  the  druggist  a  number  of  other  lines.  Seeing 
some  of  the  manufacturer's  goods  on  the  shelves,  he 
exclaims,  "0,  you  handlin'  Robinson's  stuff  now.  Bill? 
We  sell  it  too.    Do  you  need  any!' 


J) 


The  druggist  looks  at  his  stock.  He  does  need  some  and 
gives  tlie  jobber's  salesman  an  order. 

True,  the  manufacturer  eventually  sells  that  order.  But 
in  going  through  the  jobber's  hands  his  profit  and  the 
sales  of  his  own  man  are  cut  down. 

Here's  another  angle  on  the  same  situation. 

Starr,  one  of  the  old  dealers  on  Robinson's  Reliable  Rub- 
ber Goods,  has  had  the  exclusive  local  agency  for  years, 
has  pushed  it  hard,  has  established  not  only  a  fixed  retail 
price,  but  a  good  demand  for  the  product  locally. 


'220  Salesmanship 

Along  comes  a  new  dealer.  Me  finds  as  a  result  of  Starr's 
work  a  good  deruiuid  for  Robinson's  Reliable  Rubber 
Goods.  Now  he  can't  buy  them  from  the  manufacturer, 
but  he  can  and  will  yjurchase  them  from  tlie  jobber.  And 
when  he  does,  what  is  Starr's  exclusive  agency  worth? 
Not  a  nickel. 

These  are  but  a  few  of  the  vexing  problems  and  petty 
annoyances  which  arise  as  a  result  of  a  poorl>'-advised 
distribution  through  both  jobber  and  retailer. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  the  Robinson  outfit  hadn't  tried  to 
use  tlie  exclusive  agency  as  a  talking  point,  their  jobbing 
business  would  have  been  fairly  well  worth  w*hile. 

It  is  a  matter  for  consideration — for  the  exercise  of  judg- 
ment based  not  only  on  present  conditions  but  on  future 
possibilities. 

THE  PLACE  FOR  THE  JOBBER 

Don't  imagine  for  one  moment  that  I  am  decrying  the 
Jobber  ajid  his  position  in  the  field  of  distribution.  Not 
a  bit  of  it.  No  factor  in  commerce  is  more  valuable  in  its 
pr()j)er  phu-e  than  the  jobbing  house. 

F^or  instanre,  lirrc  is  I'urkc  manufacturing  one  small 
articJe — a  patented  pair  of  pliers.  It  wholesales  to  the 
dealer  for  30  cents  and  retails  to  the  customer  at  50  cents. 

The  average  (haicr  buys  a  dozm  at  a  time — total,  $3.(30. 
Never  in  the  world  would  I>urke's  pliers  justify  his 
employing  traveling  salesman  to  call  on  the  trade  with 
his  (»n«'  HPuill  artif'h'.  Their  total  sales,  let  alone  profits, 
wouldn't  pay  traveling  expenses. 


Selling  Policies  221 

To  market  his  goods,  Burke  has  got  to  do  one  uf  two 
tilings:  Either  put  it  out  through  side-line  commisBion 
salesmen  or  give  it  to  the  jobber.  Side-line  men  arc 
unsatisfactory. 

So  right  here  the  jobber  plays  a  big  part.  His  men, 
closely  covering  the  territory,  show  the  Burke  pliers  and 
get  a  number  of  small  orders — representative  distribu- 
tion. Instead  of  being  obliged  to  handle  one  thousand 
individual  dealers  and  wait  for  his  money,  the  jobber  car- 
ries over  the  account  and  gives  Burke  an  immediate  check 
for  the  total  amount. 

In  practically  every  staple  situation  the  jobbel'  is  a  val- 
uable factor  of  distribution.  Where  close  working  of 
territory,  small  dealer  stocks,  and  frequent  calls  are 
necessary,  the  jobber  is  more  capable  than  the  manu- 
facturer himself. 

But — get  this  right.  Wliere  missionary  work  and  intro- 
ductory sales  efforts  are  required,  with  very  rare  excep- 
tions, the  jobber  is  impossible. 

However,  in  cases  where  the  demand  exists  and  the  man- 
ufacturer wants  added  volume,  the  jobber  gets  orders 
which  in  the  ordinary  course  of  events  would  be  diverted 
elsewhere. 

We  have  had  many  experiences  where  the  manufacturer 
phu?ed  one  of  his  own  men  on  the  jobber's  staff  and 
secured  excellent  results.  This  special  man  not  only 
addressed  meetings  of  the  jobber's  sales  force,  but  went 
out  in  the  field,  made  sales,  worked  with  and  educated 


222  Salesmanship 

the  individual  men  until  they  were  capable  of  putting  the 
proposition  over. 

First  take  a  careful  note  of  every  pliase  of  your  situation 
—past,  present,  and  future ;  weigh  the  advantages  of  job- 
ber distribution  against  its  disadvantages;  and  then  let 
the  question  be  decided  by  the  facts. 

Dealer  Policy 

The  matter  of  dealer  policy  nowadays  resolves  itself 
largely  into  the  class  of  dealers  you  distribute  through, 
whether  or  not  you  will  grant  exclusive  agencies  on  your 
product,  and  what  assistance  your  men  are  going  to  ren- 
der the  dealers  handling  your  goods. 

The  class  of  dealers  you  distribute  through  is  largely 
fixed  by  precedent.  In  this  connection,  however,  I  might 
call  your  attention  to  one  case  where  a  corporation  mak- 
ing a  corrugated  iron  roofing,  whose  product  had  been 
distributed  exclusively  by  hardware  stores  and  tinsmiths 
for  a  number  of  years,  added  25  per  cent  to  its  yearly 
sales  by  starting  an  aggressive  selling  campaign  on  the 
lumber  dealer. 

They  had  been  bound  hand  and  foot  by  preeodoiit.  Except 
in  a  few  isolated  cases,  the  lumber  dealer  had  not  been 
considered  as  a  distributor,  but  once  the  ice  was  broken 
it  spread  like  wildfire  and  today  you'll  find  Imt  few  lum- 
ber dealers  who  are  not  handling  corrugated  iron  and  all 
that  goes  with  it. 

From  a  distribution  standpoint,  the  Ciillette  Safety  Razor 
was  cutlery  and  should  have  been  distributed  through 


Selling  Policies  223 

hardware  stores  exclusively,  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  you  '11 
find  it  everyAvhere,  from  the  corner  drug  store  to  the 
cigar  store  in  the  next  block.  And  this  ahnost  universal 
distribution  has  played  a  large  part  in  its  success. 

The  Exclusive  Agency 

Next,  as  a  question  of  policy,  comes  the  exclusive  agency 
problem.    Shall  it  or  shall  it  not  be? 

Judge  for  yourself. 

For  many  years,  *'We  give  you  exclusive  agency"  has 
been  regarded  as  a  strong  talking  point.  Yet,  in  the  paint 
field,  where  exclusive  agencies  are  probably  more  uni- 
versally offered  than  in  any  other  industry, '' Jap-a-Lac" 
walked  in  with  a  general  distribution  and  no  protection 
and  swept  the  market. 

The  manufacturer  who  offers  the  retailer  an  exclusive 
agency  purely  with  the  idea  that  it  is  an  additional  talk- 
ing point  makes  a  grave  mistake. 

The  real  reasons  for  an  exclusive  agency  should  be  (1) 
because  one  retailer  can  sell  a  big  enough  proportion  of 
the  goods  per  year  to  justify  it  and  (2)  because  the  mer- 
chant in  return  for  the  agency  will  get  back  of  the  prod- 
uct and  co-operate. 

A  large  manufacturer  we  number  as  a  client  offers  exclu- 
sive agencies  on  his  principal  product. 

In  a  small  Wisconsin  town  he  has  one  dealer  doing  a 
business  of  ten  thousand  dollars  a  year.     That  dealer 


'2'24:  Salesmanship 

would  be  wurtJiy  of  protection  against  comi^etition  even 
if  it  were  the  exception  instead  of  the  rule. 

In  a  neighboring  town  where  opportunities  are  even 
greater,  this  manufacturer  has  another  dealer  whose 
yearly  business  averages  only  two  hundred  dollars.  This 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  to  our  positive  knowledge  over 
eighteen  thousand  dollars  in  this  line  are  sold  every  year 
in  that  particular  community. 

The  extreme  cases  of  those  two  dealers — one  good  and 
one  very  poor — should  serve  to  illustrate  the  danger  of 
the  exclusive  agency,  simply  because  the  majority  of  your 
dealers  are  bound  to  be  in  the  average  or  poor  class. 

We  have  in  several  cases  made  the  recommendation  and 
seen  it  put  into  successful  operation  that  the  exclusive 
agency  be  given,  contingent  upon  the  dealer's  producing 
a  certain  volume  of  business  the  first  year.  In  the  event 
of  his  failing  to  do  so,  the  town  automatically  becomes 
an  open  market. 

Wherever  the  exclusive  agency  proposition  arises,  the 
choice  of  dealers  is  vital.  The  representation  of  your 
product  in  a  town  under  these  conditions  pictty  nearly 
determines  what  your  volume  from  that  section  is  going 
to  be. 

More  and  more  every  day  we  grow  away  from  the  exclu- 
sive agency  proposition  as  a  fixed,  definite  policy  and 
make  our  law  in  this  connection  flexible  enough  to  pro- 
tect the  deal<'rs  whose  business  justifies  it  and  throw 
towns  wide  open  where  the  opposite  liolds  true. 


Selling  Policies  225 

Dealer  Help 

Then  arises  the  question  as  to  the  amount  of  co-operation 
you  are  going  to  extend  to  the  dealer. 

As  advertising  is  being  treated  separately  in  this  series,  I 
am  going  to  eliminate  it  from  my  book  and  deal  entirely 
with  the  function  of  the  salesmen. 

Your  salesmen  have  two  classes  of  retailers  to  deal  with : 

(1)  The  new  buyer 

(2)  The  customer — established  trade 

I  would  make  it  a  standard  practice  for  every  salesman 
who  opens  a  new  account  to  spend  five  minutes  Avith  the 
merchant  after  the  deal  is  closed,  giving  him  and,  if 
possible,  his  clerks  a  crisp,  clear  talk  on  the  selling  possi- 
bilities of  the  product  and  getting  them  in  a  receptive 
frame  of  mind,  and  then  return  after  the  goods  are 
delivered  and  get  them  started  right. 

In  all  calls  on  established  trade,  we  have  found  it  of  great 
value  to  have  a  standard  practice  for  salesmen  to  work 
from.  Instead  of  going  in  aimlessl}^  with  the  idea  of 
making  themselves  agreeable,  under  our  plan  men  enter 
the  store  with  the  fixed  purpose  of  showing  the  merchant 
and  his  clerks  the  best  way  actually  to  sell  the  products 
of  our  client.  They  substitute  information  for  hand- 
shaking and  leave  behind  them  enthusiasm  and  knowl- 
edge. 

The  average  man  has  no  idea  how  much  can  be  produced 
in  cash  returns  by  a  sales  force  where  the  return  call  on 


226  Salesmanship 

a  dealer  is  made  with  a  specific  object  in  view  and  a  defi- 
nite method  of  producing  the  desired  end  with  the  dealer 
and  his  clerks. 

By  all  means,  wherever  it  is  possible,  force  your  salesmen 
to  call  on  consumers.  This  keeps  the  salesman's  per- 
spective intact,  gets  him  mentally  back  of  the  counter 
ivith  his  customers,  and  forces  him  to  work  with  instead 
of  against  the  retailer. 

Consumer  Policy 

Last  of  all  but  not  least — with  due  apologies  to  the  long 
dead  and  gone  gentleman  who  first  used  the  phrase — 
comes  the  matter  of  consumer  policy. 

When  I  start  talking  about  this,  a  lot  of  you  are  going 
to  stop  listening. 

Simply  because  it's  a  subject  wliich  most  of  us  prate 
glibly  of  in  pul)lic  but  fail  to  practice  in  private. 

What  I'm  getting  at  is  this: 

Are  you  honest? 

£f  you  aro,  your  consumer  policy  is  *' Money's  worth  or 
money  back." 

And  you'll  live  up  to  it.  In  tlie  strife  and  tnrnioil  of  the 
problems  and  the  questions  riglit  iiiidcr  our  own  eyes,  we 
sometimes  lose  our  perspective — lose  sight  of  what  hap- 
pens when  the  fellow  who  finally  buys  what  we  make  finds 
something  wrong. 


Selling  Policies  227 

You  pay  good  money  for  the  printer's  ink  kind  of  pub- 
licity. 

But  the  best  advertising  in  the  world  is  that  of  the  fellow 
who  likes  you,  your  product,  or  your  proposition,  and  by 
word  of  mouth  conveys  his  opinion  to  another  who  may 
3ome  day  buy. 

And  oftentimes  the  complaint  that  is  made  right  cheer- 
fully and  with  a  good  grace  makes  a  better  friend  than 
the  product  that  was  satisfactory  in  the  first  place. 

Gain  the  good-'\\'ill  of  the  ultimate  consumer — the  man 
whose  favorable  opinion  of  your  business  is  built  by  an 
iron-clad  policy  of  giving  him  what  he  pays  for. 

TEST  QUESTIONS 

1.  G-ive  at  least  half  a  dozen  advantages  that  result  from  a 
definite  sellmg  policy. 

2.  "What  are  the  advantages  of  the  fixed  price  ? 

3.  Have  you  had  any  disappointing  experiences,  either  in 
buying  or  selling,  on  account  of  the  absence  of  a  fixed  price 
policy?  Could  they  have  been  avoided  or  remedied  by  a  fixed 
price  policy  ? 

4.  "What  advantages  does  a  manufacturer  derive  from  selling 
the  jobber?    "W'hat  disadvantages? 

5.  How  does  the  general  average  of  the  jobber's  salesman 
compare  with  the  general  average  of  the  specialty  salesman  ? 

6.  "What  confusion  is  likely  to  result  from  a  combined 
"selling  the  jobber"  and  "exclusive  agency  agreement"  gelling 
policy  ? 

7.  Is  the  jobber  likely  to  continue  as  a  factor  in  the  distribu- 
tion of  goods  ?    "What  arguments  for  your  answer  ? 


2-8  Salesmanship 

8.  What  are  some  of  the  advantages  and  some  of  the  dangers 
of  the  exclusive  agency  ? 

9.  How  can  dealer  help  bo  used  effectively  hy  salesmen? 

10.  Why   should   the   manufacturer   and   distributor   have   a 
definite  consumer  policy  ? 

11.  What  is  meant  by  word  of  mouth  advertising?    What  is 
its  value? 

12.  What  objections  exist  against  introducing  a  new  line  of 
goods  to  the  public  through  the  jol)ber' 

13.  Account  for  the  fact  that  in  the  majority  of  cases  jobbers 
cover  but  a  limited  territory. 

14.  Make  a  list  of  at  least  a  dozen  lines  of  trade-marked  goods 
which  bear  a  jobber's  brand. 


DIVISION  ni 
the  successful  sales  manager 

His  Problem 

Jackman  was  by  far  the  best  salesman  on  old  Silas 
Gregg's  force. 

One  fine  spring  morning,  Gregg,  without  any  "if's," 
**and's,"  *^ why's,"  or  "wherefore's,"  picked  Jackman 
up  bodily  and  planted  him  in  a  private  office  behind  a 
glass  door  inscribed  "Sales  Manager." 

In  desperation,  Jackman  stopped  Gregg  and  asked  him, 
"What  do  you  expect  of  a  sales  manager  anyway?" 

Over  his  glasses,  grizzled,  gray  Silas  Gregg  looked  at  his 
new  executive.  "More  sales  and  a  lower  selling  ex- 
pense," he  answered. 

"How?"  Jackman 's  voice  bore  the  semblance  of  a 
ti'emble. 

"That's  the  one  question  my  sales  manager  has  to  answer 
for  himself,"  answered  Gregg  as  he  left  the  room. 

And  the  showing  of  the  result  records  of  any  business 
indicates  the  degree  of  success  the  sales  manager  has  met 

229 


230  Salesmanship 

with  ill  answering  tiiat  vital  question  ot"  how  to  increase 
sales  and  decrease  expense. 

Types  oi"  Sales  Managers 

For  our  purpose  there  are  two  broad  classes  of  sales 
managers:  first  and  by  far  in  the  majority,  the  detail 
type,  and  second,  the  creative  type. 

THE  DETAIL  TYPE 

In  speaking  of  the  detail  type  of  sales  managers,  I  refer 
to  the  fellow  whose  main  burden  seems  to  be  to  keep  the 
clerical  work  of  his  department  in  shape — who  spends 
more  time  auditing  expense  accounts  than  in  opening  new 
territory — in  short,  the  man  who  overlooks  the  oppor- 
tunity which  is  placed  in  his  hands  and  grinds  away  day 
by  day  at  a  petty  task  that  never  ends. 

Enough  of  this  type  of  sales  manager.  If  he  wasn't  in 
the  majority,  the  creative  type  couldn't  by  any  possibility 
command  the  salary  he  does. 

THE   CREATIVE   TYPE 

Tlio  creative  type  of  sales  manager  is  the  fellow  who  will 
take  raw  material  and  turn  out  a  finished  salesman — the 
man  who  holds  tiif  reins  on  his  force  so  that  high  speed 
is  the  daily  rule  and  maximum  results  the  monthly  record. 

lie  is  the  type  to  model  after;  he  is  the  man  who  com- 
mands as  large  a  salary  as  the  president  of  the  company 
he  works  for.  Jle  is  the  fellow  big  jobs  seek  year  after 
yoar — the  fellow  who  has  a  future  because  be  has  made 
his  past. 


Sales  Manager  231 

Full  Authority 

Absolute  authority  over  his  men  is  the  first  tool  that 
should  be  placed  in  the  sales  manager's  hands. 

If  a  salesman  knows  that  he  can  go  over  his  sales  man- 
ager's head  to  the  man  above,  that  sales  manager's 
authority  is  nil.  And  without  full  and  absolute  authority 
notliing  can  be  accomplished. 

Taking  it  for  granted  that  the  executive  is  free  to  fire, 
hire,  reprimand  or  praise,  cut  salaries  or  raise  them,  he 
is  ready  to  mould  the  men  under  him  to  his  ideas  of  what 
the  efiScient  sales  force  should  be. 

Just  as  surely  as  distrust  breeds  distrust  and  confidence 
begets  confidence,  the  attitude  of  your  sales  force  toward 
you  is  a  reflection  of  your  attitude  toward  them. 

Attitude  Towaed  Salesmen 

Too  many  sales  managers  have  the  tendency  toward 
fraternizing — toward  being  "good  fellows"  with  their 
men.  When  a  sales  manager  makes  the  statement,  "Why, 
the  boys  come  out  to  my  house  to  dinner;  they'd  do  any- 
thing in  the  world  for  me,"  beware — look  out.  Unless  it 
is  an  exceptional  case,  that  man's  sales  force  feel  that  he 
is  easy  and  take  advantage  of  him  in  a  hundred  little 
ways,  which,  multiplied  by  the  number  of  men  in  the  field 
and  the  working  days  of  the  year,  total  into  an  appalling 
deficiency. 

After  all,  a  sales  force  is  rather  more  than  less  like  a 

class  of  school  children.    They  are  temperamental,  nerv- 
16 


23'2  Sales  rncHi  ship 

oue,  have  more  whims  than  an  old  maid  vrith  an  independ- 
ent income  and  a  pet  oat,  and  if  you  let  them  thftv  '11  run 
away  ivith  you  and  over  you  in  the  bargain. 

There  is  just  one  really  successful  attitude  to  gain  ami 
maintain  toward  your  salesmen.  Here,  briefly,  is  the 
backbone  of  it :  Be  just;  at  all  times  be  "on  the  square." 
A  reputation  for  year-round  justice  is  worth  more  with 
the  men  than  being  known  as  kind  and  considerate. 

Strictly  business  at  all  times  keeps  out  that  personal  note 
which  sometimes  makes  men  take  advantage  t)l'  you. 

REBUKE   AND   PRAISE 

Be  slow  to  rebuke  and  slow  to  commend,  but  when  you 
find  it  necessary  to  do  either,  bear  down  hard.  Forget 
the  petty  little  things  that  hamper  and  annoy,  but  when 
a  big  fault  arises  stamp  it  out  like  you  would  an  incipient 
prairie  fire.  Don't  commend  men  for  their  little  suc- 
cesses ;  constant  praise  takes  off  the  edge  when  a  fellow 
accomplifiheB  something  big  and  really  worthy  of  special 
notice. 

Make  your  men  work  to  avoid  your  criticism  and  gain 
your  commendation. 

Don't  misunderstand  me;  by  no  means  do  I  reconuiK-nd 
that  the  sales  manager  act  like  a  machine,  but  1  do 
say  that  if  you  want  to  gain  the  full  benefits  of  the 
authority  that's  vested  in  you,  you've  simply  got  to  live 
up  to  your  position. 

Be  business — all  business;  make  your  eoinmunications 
short  and  to  the  point 


Sales  Manager  233 

Know  to  the  dot  where  the  weaknesses  and  strength  of 
your  individual  salesmen  lie.  Bolster  up  their  weak- 
nesses; foster  their  strength.  Bear  down  where  it's  nec- 
essary and  lift  up  where  the  situation  requires  it. 

The  most  capable  salesman  on  your  force  should  be  you 
yourself — yes,  you,  the  sales  manager.  Unless  you  can 
personally  sell,  how  can  you  show  others  how? 

Supervision  of  Sauesmen 

The  selection  of  new  salesmen  is  a  problem  which  you 
must  solve  to  the  tune  of  the  highest  possible  number  of 
successes  from  the  total  men  put  out. 

Upon  the  training  of  these  new  men,  pro^dded  the  selec- 
tion has  been  advisedly  made,  depends  to  a  great  extent 
their  success  and  the  kind  of  representation  they  give 
your  house. 

Your  general  daily  duties — the  supervision  of  your  men 
— involve  two  things:  (1)  handling  each  salesman's 
problem  as  an  individual  situation  and  (2)  getting  max- 
imum results  from  the  sales  force  as  a  whole. 

Some  sales  managers  attempt  to  bolster  up  the  weaker 
sisters  on  their  forces  by  letters  showing  them  how  they 
ought  to  sell. 

This  is  all  very  well,  but  it's  like  giving  a  man  a  dose  of 
plain  water  when  he  needs  a  shot  of  some  strong  med- 
icine. 


234  Salesmanship 

Your  successful  sales  manager  goes  out  in  the  field  with 
the  fellow  who  is  falling  down,  spends  several  days  with 
him  collecting  his  weakness,  showing  him  how  to  over- 
come it,  and  then  jumps  back  to  the  oflice  to  supervise 
liis  force  as  an  entirely  until  the  next  call  comes  from  the 

lirld. 

In  this  way,  through  int4?lligent,  well-thought-out,  per- 
sonal work  with  his  men  in  the  field,  the  good  sales  man- 
ager eventually  gets  his  force  to  the  point  where  they  are 
all  above  the  average  and  things  begin  to  run  smoothly. 
He  keeps  a  bright  edge  on  his  own  selling  ability  and  a 
close  grasp  of  conditions  at  all  times.  As  business  jus- 
tifies it  and  his  office  work  increases  in  volume,  one  of 
these  days  he  takes  one  of  his  best  men  off  the  territorj" 
and  makes  him  a  special  representative,  doing  nothing 
but  traveling  with  the  other  fellows,  whipping  them  in 
line,  helping  them  solve  their  individual  problems,  and 
keeping  the  house  in  touch  with  the  field. 

Shed  Details 

Non-productive  detail  work  is  the  enemy  to  efliciency  in 
any  executive  position,  most  especially  in  the  sjiles  man- 
ager's position. 

If  you  keep  your  eyes  too  close  to  the  ground,  you  lose 
perspcotive  altogether;  that  is  fatal. 

In  many  cases  where,  after  conferences  with  the  heads 
of  l)usinesHeB,  wo  have  decided  upon  a  certain  plan  of 
procedure,  tlie  sales  manager  when  called  in  will  say, 
"Can't  be  done,"  and  will  (|Uote  some  single  salesman's 
or  individual  dealer's  situation  to  prove  his  case. 


Sales  Manager  235 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  almost  invariably  the  case  he  quotes 
is  the  exception;  the  majority — the  ones  that  prove  the 
rule — are  never  even  heard  from ;  but  he  takes  this  indi- 
vidual case  as  a  key  to  the  whole  situation. 

That  is  wrong.  The  sales  manager  must  look  over  the 
proposition  as  an  entirety ;  he  must  have  and  should  have 
a  bird's-eye  view.  He  should  see  through  the  eyes  of 
every  man  on  his  force  and  then  filter  their  views  through 
his  own  understanding  before  putting  them  in  the  melting- 
pot  which  yields  his  working  standpoint. 

Every  letter,  every  report,  every  sign  emanating  from  a 
salesman  or  a  customer  should  be  perused  and  digested 
by  the  sales  manager,  no  matter  w^ho  files  the  report  or 
answ^ers  the  letter. 

The  daily  reports  from  the  salesmen  are  the  glasses 
through  which  the  sales  manager  looks  into  his  selling 
field. 

His  personal  work  on  the  firing  line  with  the  men  verifies 
his  impressions  and  keeps  him,  as  well  as  the  men  he 
works  with,  in  top-notch  condition. 

His  maps  and  card  records  chart  progress  and  indicate 
possibilities. 

His  correspondence  carries  forth  ideas,  strength,  and 
enthusiasm. 

His  attitude  encourages  strict  business,  fair  play,  and 
honest  effort. 


236  Salesmanship 

His  department  is  molded  to  fit  m  watti  other  depart- 
ments. The  rough  spots  are  ironed  out — the  smooth  ones 
polished. 

And  the  combination  of  his  work,  plus  perspective,  plus 
creative  efforts,  brings  what  old  man  Gregg  and  the  head 
of  every  other  business  in  this  world  want,  namely : 

More  sales  at  less  expense. 

TEST  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  are  the  two  chief  types  of  sales  managers?    By  what 
characteristics  are  they  distinguished? 

2.  How  much  authority  should  the  sales  manager  of  a  con- 
cern possess? 

3.  What  should  be  the  attitude  of  a  sales  manager  toward  the 
salesmen  ? 

4.  What  are  the  two  big  problems  involved  in  the  supervision 
of  salesmen  ? 

5.  What  is  the  real  money  problem  with   which   the  sales 
manager  is  confronted  ? 


DIVISION  IV 
bases  of  compensation  for  salesmen 

The  Problem 

Here  is  a  real  problem. 

And  the  right  answer  is  worth  far  more  than  the  time  and 
thought  you'll  spend  in  getting  it. 

"What  basis  of  recompense  can  I  establish  which 
will  keep  my  good  men  satisfied,  prevent  over-pay- 
ment of  mediocre  salesmen,  and  minimize  losses  on 
the  fellow  who  falls  down?" 

The  solution  to  that  problem  will  forever  relieve  your 
mind  of  the  worries  and  perplexities  arising  from  the 
recompense  situation  as  it  affects  your  salesmen. 

Classes  of  Salesmen  to  Consider 

In  the  last  analysis  you  have  three  classes  of  men  to  deal 
with. 

First,  the  man  who  is  making  good — big — the  fellow  you 
have  simply  got  to  retain.  You  can't  afford  to  have  him 
dissatisfied  on  the  recompense  end.  It  cuts  down  his 
working  efficiency  and  lays  you  open  to  the  danger  of 
losing  him. 

287 


238  Salesmanship 

Then,  you  have  to  consider  the  average  salesman — the 
mediocre  producer — whose  sales  do  not  increase  froMi 
year  to  year  in  proi)ortioii  to  what  he  tliiuks  is  fair  in 
the  way  of  recompense. 

And  last  of  all,  you  have  the  man  who  doesn't  make  good 
— who  falls  short  of  the  mark  that  spells  profit.  And 
the  money  lost  on  him  raises  the  sales  expense  and  lowers 
the  returns  to  the  men  who  do  produce  when  the  basis  of 
recompense  is  a  salary. 

The  ideal  situation  for  you  to  work  for  is  one  which  auto- 
matically gives  each  man  exactly  what  he  earns,  yet  is 
of  such  a  nature  that  you  still  retain  complete  control  of 
his  movements  and  time. 

The  Three  Bases  of  Compensation 

To  arrive  at  this,  let  us  first  consider  the  three  bases  of 
recompense  which,  broadly  speaking,  constitute  the 
methods  in  use  today.    Here  they  are: 

( 1)  Straight  Salary 

(2)  Straight  Commission 
(S)  Salary  and  Commission 

STRAIGHT    SALABY 

The  morfhant  who  does  a  credit  business  has  to  charge 
more  for  his  goods  tliaii  tlie  fellow  who  gets  spot  cash  for 
his  merchandise. 

nie  customer  pays  for  the  lost  accounts  and  the  interest 
on  outstanding  money. 


Compensation  239 

Just  so,  tbo  good  salesman  oti  a  salary  always  gets  less 
tlian  he  actually  earns.  It  cannot  be  otherwise.  In 
return  for  the  assured  steady  income  of  a  straight  salaiy, 
his  employer  is  forced  to  protect  against  the  loss  caused 
by  the  fellow  who  doesn't  make  good  and  the  occasional 
over-payment  of  a  mediocre  producer. 

In  the  great  majority  of  the  staple  businesses  of  today  a 
straight  salary  is  the  basis  of  recompense  for  the  sales 
force. 

Employers  feel  that  it  gives  them  absolute  control  over 
the  men.  They  feel  that  it  is  the  sound,  legitimate  basis 
of  recompense  and  they  are  affected  by  the  precedent 
set  in  every  other  department  of  their  business  where 
employes  are  paid  so  much  per  week,  per  hour,  or  per 
mouth. 

Yet,  in  the  long  run,  the  straight  salary  basis  is  the 
riskiest  and  the  least  satisfactoiy  of  all  methods.  It 
works  an  injustice  either  on  the  good  man  or  the  house. 
Somebody  is  bound  to  suffer. 

In  employing  new  men  the  house  pays  them  a  salary  to 
start  on  and  assumes  all  the  risk.  The  salesman  takes  no 
chances  whatever. 

I  will  agree  that  in  some  highly  stable  businesses  where 
the  house  itself  plays  so  large  a  part  in  the  sales  that  the 
man  is  simply  a  living  follow-up  on  the  dealer,  the 
straight  salary  basis  is  all  right.  But  these  instances  are 
few  and  far  between  and  even  there  a  re-adjustment  can 
be  made  that  benefits  both  parties  to  the  transaction, 


240  Salesm  a  ii  sh  i  p 

STBMOHT    COMMIS8ION 

Now  in  many  ])nsinosses  wlioro  tho  porciontaa:*^  of  success 
among  new  men  put  out  is  very  low — where  the  selling  ia 
extremely  diflficult,  the  straight  commission  basis  is  in  use. 
Some  of  the  specialty  concerns  pay  as  high  as  40  or 
no  ))er  cent  on  the  sale;  some  concerns  marketing  more 
staple  articles  ])ay  as  low  as  3  per  cent  on  the  possible 
volume  of  yearly  business.  The  rate  of  commission  is 
worked  out  according  to  what  the  man  with  the  caliber  it 
takes  to  sell  theii-  j)roduct  must  earn  per  year  to  be 
satisfied. 

The  salesman  who  goes  out  on  a  straight  commission 
basis  really  stands  on  his  own  feet.  In  spite  of  the  fact 
that  new  men  are  usually  advanced  expense  money,  they 
invariably  feel  that  they  arc  working  for  themselves. 
And  riglit  tlicre  comes  the  rub. 

In  very  few  cases  do  you  find  the  employer  with  his  sales 
force  on  a  commission  basis  holding  absolute  control  over 

}iis  men. 

This  condition  Jias  its  origin  in  the  cinployiiicnt  of  new 
recruits. 

The  salesman  assum<s  practiailly  all  of  the  lisk.  C'onse- 
(jnently,  instead  of  applying  for  a  position  and  being 
rager  to  secure  it,  the  salos  inaiiaij:('r  rniploying  on  this 
basis  has  to  sell  the  salesman  his  proposition  and  its 
money -earning  possibilities  before  the  man  goes  to  work. 

<^o — when  ho  gets  out  in  tJic  licld,  t.he  successful  man  feels 
that  lie  is  working  for  himself — that  his  time  is  his  own. 


Compensation  241 

He  resents  direction  as  to  where  he  shall  go  or  what  he 
shall  do  and  suffers  from  lost  efficiency  as  a  result,  to  say 
nothing  of  wliat  this  attitude  costs  his  employer  in  lost 
sales. 

True,  there  are  exceptions  to  this  rule.  Some  of  the 
biggest  specialty  eoncerns  in  America,  operating  on  an 
iron-clad,  no-advance  straight  commission  basis,  have  put 
themselves  in  a  position  where  men  feel  that  it  is  a  privi- 
lege to  go  to  work  for  them  and  submit  to  the  most  rigid 
sort  of  sales  direction.  But  these  concerns  are  few  and 
far  between  and  have  brought  their  methods  and  organi- 
zation to  a  degree  of  perfection  that  is  almost  impossible 
in  the  average  concern. 

Now  bear  this  in  mind,  please :  Most  concerns  operating 
the  straight  commission  force  have  to  advance  new  men 
expenses  for  a  try-out  in  the  field.  Seldom  do  they  find  a 
man  who,  after  a  month  or  more  of  work,  is  not  in  debt 
to  them  for  sums  ranging  from  twenty  to  one  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars  or  so. 

In  other  words,  while  the  risk  is  small  compared  to  the 
straight  salary  basis,  there  is  a  certain  cash  tie-up  and 
risk  involved  in  the  handling  of  a  commission  sales  force. 
This  naturally  varies  according  to  the  management  of 
the  concern. 

Take  this  same  yearly  sales  investment  and  put  it  to 
work  under  what  we  terra  the  ''salary  plus  commission" 
arrangement  and  you  create  ideal  conditions  from  all 
viewpoints. 


242  Salesmanship 

^liiul  you,  this  ia  a  broiul,  general  recommeudation. 
Judge  it  with  that  thought  in  mind. 

SALABY    PLUS    COMMISSION 

In  the  first  place,  the  salary  plus  commission  arrange- 
ment, from  our  standpoint,  contemplates  the  smallest 
salary  that  a  man  can  live  on.  In  addition  to  this  he 
receives  a  commission  on  all  goods  sold  over  a  certain 
figure.  This  commission  may  be  payable  quarterly  or 
yearly  as  conditions  make  advisable. 

The  salesman  may  pay  his  expenses  out  of  his  salary  or 
he  may  receive  expenses  in  addition  to  the  salary.  That 
is  optional  with  the  concern. 

The  big  point  is  tliis  :  The  low  salary  minimizes  the  risk 
in  putting  now  men  out.  It  rediicos  the  temptation  to 
professional  job-hunters.  It  makes  possible  a  fixed 
expense  budget. 

The  commission  part  of  the  recoinpenso  insures  that 
every  man  on  the  force  will  I'ccoivo  exactly  what  lu;  earns. 

The  salesman  who  makes  big  sales  doesn't  have  to  ask 
for  more  money;  his  coinniission  automatically  raii^os  his 
Falary  as  he  earns  it. 

The  mediocre  man  can't  demand  a  salary  raise  whore  he 
isn't  entitJ(.'d  to  it.  lie  can't  be  overpaid,  simply  because 
the  commission  part  of  his  recompense  puts  his  earning 

right  in  his  own  Iiainls. 

Here  is  the  thought  in  this  connection. 


Compensation  243 

The  salary  part  puts  the  salesman  under  direct  control 
of  the  house. 

The  commission  part  takes  care  of  salary  raises  as  the 
men  earn  them. 

And  the  entire  system  minimizes  risk  and  investment  on 
the  force  as  a  whole. 

Put  the  commission  in  the  form  of  a  bonus — a  profit- 
sharing  division — anything  you  may  want  to  call  it,  but 
after  many  j-ears  of  study  and  obser^-ation  we  feel  that 
where  it  is  applicable  this  is  the  safest,  soundest  basis  of 
all  for  recompensing  salesmen. 

A  Practical  Illustration 

A  simple  illustration  to  give  you  the  idea. 

The  Main  Manufacturing  Company  keep  their  men  on 
the  road  ten  months  each  year. 

The  lowest  volume  of  sales  a  man  can  reach  and  still 
remain  in  their  employ  is  $15,000  per  year. 

Traveling  expenses  average  $100  per  month  for  ten 
months.    That's  $1,000  a  year. 

The  allotted  sales  expense  is  10  per  cent  on  gross  sales. 

Ten  per  cent  on  $15,000  is  $1,500. 

Traveling  expenses  for  ten  months  average  $100  per 
month,  or  $1,000  for  the  ten-month  year. 


244  Salesmanship 

Subtracting  $1,000  oxponsos  from  tlio  $1,500  sales  per- 
cpiitapo  on  this  volume  leaves  $500,  or  $50  per  month  as  a 
salary. 

Consequently,  we  find  that  the  lowest-salaried  man  in 
their  employ  makes  $50  per  month  salary  and  spends 
$100  per  month  in  travolinp:  expenses. 

So — their  proposition  to  all  men  is  $50  per  month  salary, 
plus  expenses,  plus  10  per  cent  on  all  business  over 
$15,000  per  year. 

Do  you  get  the  thought!  Instead  of  putting  a  new  man 
out  on  a  salary  based  on  what  he  earned  in  his  last 
position,  they  put  him  to  work  on  their  minimum-risk, 
fifty-dollar-a-month  basis,  and  the  minute  his  sales  ju.^tify 
bis  receiving  more  money  his  commission  automatically 
takes  care  of  it. 

That  crude  example  serves  to  outline  the  principle.  We 
could  fill  several  pages  with  illustrations  and  examples 
and  demonstrations,  but  the  api)lication  is  strictly  up  to 
the  individual  business  and  its  j^cculiar  re(iuiremeuts. 

It  has  been  our  experience  that  a  change  to  a  proper  basis 
of  recompense  for  salesmen  invariably  cuts  thousands  of 
dollars  per  year  off  non-prodiictiNe  sales  departm<'nt 
expense. 

TEST   QUESTIONS 

1.  In  comppTiKatiiif;  Hulcsmen  what  three  tjTCS  of  men  must 
be  taken  into  consideration? 

2.  What  Bituation  dopjB  justice  to  Mch  type? 


Compensation  _'4.") 

•i.  WTiat  are  tho  three  oommonly  act^pted  bases  of  oompeu 
sation  ? 

4.  What  is  the  analog  between  the  merchant  who  does  a 
credit  business  and  the  distribiiter  who  pays  his  salesmen  on  a 
straight  salary  basis? 

5.  What  are  the  arguraents  for  and  agrainst  the  straight 
salary  proposition  ? 

6.  How  is  the  rate  of  commission  determined  in  a  straight 
commission  selling  proposition  ? 

7.  Why  is  the  sales  manager's  problem  of  control  often  diffi- 
cult on  the  straight  commission  plan  1 

8.  What  is  meant  by  "minimum  risk  bases"  in  the  combined 
salaiy  and  commission  method  of  compensating  salesmen  t 


DIVISION  V 
controlling  men  in  the  field 

Difficulty  of  the  Problem 

Out  on  the  road  goes  Bill  SLmpson,  salesman. 

With  an  expense  check  in  his  pocket,  a  grip  of  samples  in 
his  hand,  and  a  head  chuck-full  of  selling  talk,  he  takes 
the  train. 

Now  in  spite  of  anything  you  as  sales  manager  may  say 
or  do,  the  minute  Bill  Simpson  steps  out  of  your  oflQce, 
his  one  real  boss  is  Bill  Simpson — no  one  else. 

The  auditor  may  keep  his  bookkeepers  up  to  their  highest 
point  of  efficiency  during  the  working  day;  they're  right 
under  his  eye  all  the  time. 

But  how  are  you  going  to  keep  Bill  Simpson  or  the  rest 
of  the  bunch  on  high  speed  when  they  are  four  or  five 
hundred  miles  away? 

That's  the  problem  tliat  has  i)iit  gray  hairs  in  many  a 
head  and  burnt  many  an  overtime  light  looking  for  the 
solution. 

And  the  final  answer  is:  You  can't — not  100  per  cent  at 
least. 

246 


Controllvng  Salesmen  247 

But — by  organized  effort — a  constant  check  and  a  con- 
tinual pulling  of  every  wire  that  presents  itself,  you  can 
get  more  and  better  work  out  of  a  sales  force  than  under 
ordinary  conditions. 

And — more  and  better  work  spells  more  sales. 

Before  a  physician  can  prescribe  a  remedy  for  an  ail- 
ment, he  must  diagnose  the  case — find  out  what  is  wrong. 

The  Average  Salesman's  Method 

So  let's  diagnose  the  case  of  the  average  salesman  who  is 
left  much  to  his  own  sweet  direction  and  see  what's 
wrong  with  him. 

Friday  afternoon  at  four  o'clock  finds  him  one  hundred 
miles  away  from  home  and  wife. 

There's  one  more  dealer  to  see  in  the  town  and  a  train 
at  four-ten. 

Which  does  he  choose?  The  train — every  time — and 
Saturday  morning  finds  him  home — off  his  territory. 

What's  the  use  of  getting  out  Sunday  night!  He'll  take 
the  early  train  Monday  morning.    That'll  do  just  as  well. 

And  about  twelve  o'clock  Monday  he  is  back  on  the  job 
again. 

That  is  Evil  Number  1 — the  salesman's  routing  himself 
home  over  Sunday  and  losing  from  half  a  day  to  a  day 
and  a  half.  ^^ 


248  Salesmanship 

It  takes  liiin  until  Tuesday  uioruhig  really  to  get  going 
again. 

All  day  Tuesday  he  works  hard  and  conscientiously,  land- 
ing up  in  Keokuk,  Iowa,  where  he  plans  to  spend  Wednes- 
day. 

Alter  a  poorly  cooked  supper,  he  hits  a  hard  hed  in  an 
American-plan  hotel  and  gets  up  in  the  morning  with  a 
bad  taste  in  his  mouth  from  too  many  cigars  the  night 
before  and  a  poor  rest. 

It  looks  like  rain.  "Punk"  day.  And  do^\^l  go  his 
spirits.    No  use  trjdng  to  see  anyone  before  nine  a.  m. 

So — about  nine-fifteen  he  makes  his  first  call. 

The  merchant  is  unresponsive.  Bill  Simpson  has  no 
"pep,"  no  "])unch,"  and  finally  walks  out  of  that  store 
licked  for  the  day.    And  so  on. 

What's  the  use  of  going  any  further?  You  know  the  rest. 
We've  made  the  diagnosis.    Now  for  the  remedy. 

The  Four  Steps  of  hie  Problem 
Our  pro])]r'm  with  the  salesman  is: 

(1)  To  kf.'cp  him  workiiijx  six  days  a  week 

(2)  To  start  him  in  the  m(iriiiii<r  with  lire  in  his  eye 

and  dctrrminatioii  in  his  heart 

(3)  To  make  liim  worl;  from  nine  to  (ivo  cvppy  day 
(4J    To  help  him  with  tlic  people  he  s<'lls  and  faila 

to  sell 


Controlling  Salesmen  249 

The  answers  to  the  foregoing  propositions  lie  through  in- 
telUgeut  control  oi',  and  co-operation  with,  the  men  in  the 
field. 


You  know  if  you  could  have  a  boss  traveling  with  every 
one  of  your  men  and  forcing  him  to  do  the  right  thing 
by  himself  and  his  employer,  you'd  soon  find  your  results 
doubling  without  a  single  additional  man  on  the  force. 


Here  then  is  the  best  thing : 


(1)  Koute  your  men 

(2)  Get  daily  reports  on: 

Time  expended 
New  sales 
Customer  calls 
Prospects 

(3)  Follow  up  on  these  reports 

(4)  "Write  a  "ginger"  letter  at 

least  once  every  other  day 


That's  the  prescription.     It  is  long-range  management 
employing  practical  and  tried  administrative  devices. 


Yes,  it  fits  your  business.  No  matter  how  complicated 
your  situation,  no  matter  how  peculiar  the  conditions 
surrounding  it,  a  simple  system  can  be  evolved  governed 
by  these  four  cardinal  controls  that  will  come  nearer  get- 
ting your  men  on  a  real  efficiency  basis  than  anything 
else  you  can  formulate. 


-50  Salesmanship 

Xow  let  us  consider  the  things  we  want  and  the  way  these 
four  cardinal  controls  affect  them. 

EFFECT  CAUSE 

(1)  Keep  men  working  six  days  a  week.  .Routing  men 

(2)  Start  'em  with  morning  "ginger".  ..  "Ginger"  letters 

(3)  Make    them    work    from    nine    to    five 

each  day   Time  reports 

(4)  Help  them  with  the  people  they  sell 

and  fail  to  sell Follow-up  on  reports 

Theoretically  at  least,  you  will  agree  that  these  work  in 
well  together.  And  in  practice  they  work  even  better 
than  in  theory. 

Certainly,  I'll  agree  with  you  that  your  men  should  spend 
their  time  properly  and  advisedly  and  do  the  things  nec- 
essary to  produce  maximum  results. 

But — if  they  did,  the  sales  manager's  job  would  be  a 
feather-bed  sinecure;  anyone  could  hold  it  down  and 
salaries  would  correspond. 

EXPENSE    ACCOUNTS 

In  the  above  outline  no  provision  has  been  made  for 
expense  accounts.  This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  every  con- 
cern we  have  ever  come  in  contact  with  has  had  the 
expense  account  end  right  down  to  the  dot. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  comment  upon  it  here  beyond 
this :  The  minute  you  make  your  men  realize  that  their 
total  earning  is  their  salary  plus  their  expenses  and  that 
the  entire  amount  is  charged  against  their  gross  sales, 
that  minute  your  expense  account  difficulty  ends  forever. 


Controllmg  Salesmen  251 

In  plain  English,  let  your  men  know  that  purely  as  a 
matter  of  preference  you'd  rather  pay  them  what  they 
earn  in  the  form  of  salary  than  through  the  medium  of 
a  padded  or  high  expense  account.  When  the  salesman 
realizes  that  in  the  last  analysis  every  unnecessary  dollar 
he  puts  in  expenses  comes  right  out  of  his  own  pocket, 
he  is  going  to  take  care  of  his  money. 

Continual  sweating,  fretting,  and  quarreling  over 
expense  accounts  do  more  harm  than  good.  It's  like  bail- 
ing a  leaky  boat;  if  you  want  to  stop  it,  you've  got  to  plug 
the  leak — head  the  trouble  off  at  the  source.  So — head 
off  over-size  expense  accounts  at  the  start.  The  minute 
your  sales  force  realize  that  they  are  spending  their  own 
money,  your  expense  account  problem  takes  care  of  itself. 

Before  taking  up  the  report  system  in  detail,  I  want  to 
make  one  thing  clear.  The  system  we  outline  here  is  just 
about  the  simplest,  most  fundamental  method  one  could 
imagine.  It  is  designed  to  furnish  the  backbone  or  out- 
line upon  which  you  can  build  to  suit  your  individual 
needs  and  problems. 

In  the  great  majority  of  businesses  employing  salesmen 
we  find  the  majority  of  the  following  items  in  use,  but 
right  in  the  ones  that  are  lacking  lie  the  weaknesses.  A 
control  of  men  in  the  field  is  only  efficient  when  it  covers 
all  points.  It's  lilvc  a  fence  in  that  it  ceases  to  give  pro- 
tection if  there  is  one  open  space. 

ROUTING   SAIiESMEN 

By  routing  the  salesmen  you  absolutely  insure  their  mak- 
ing towns  in  logical  order  and  by  the  least  expensive 


252  Salesmanship 

routes.  Loave  a  salesman  to  liimself  and  lie  will  follow 
"hunches";  he  will  skip  one  town  and  make  another  and 
the  net  result  is  an  imperfectly  covered  territory  and  an 
expense  account  which  has  too  much  mileage  on  it  and  too 
much  time  spent  on  trains  that  should  be  put  in  calling  on 
trade. 

It  all  harks  back  to  the  one  rule  that  the  more  you  can 
settle  out  of  the  office,  the  less  you  leave  for  the  salesman 
to  do  apart  from  actually  selling  the  goods,  the  better  off 
you  are. 

Your  men  are  on  the  road  for  just  one  purpose,  namely, 
to  sell  goods.  Narrow  their  duties  down  to  as  near  that 
one  task  as  possible. 

As  an  argument  for  being  permitted  to  route  himself,  the 
average  salesman  will  tell  you  that  he  knows  better  where 
to  go  for  business  than  the  office  does. 

Nonsense.  If  the  office  has  the  information  it  should 
have  on  territorial  conditions  and  individual  situations  in 
toA\Tis,  it  knows  in  a  minute  just  where  to  send  the  man 
every  day  of  the  year.  And  its  routing  is  the  result  of  a 
combination  of  minimum  mileage  and  offc^ctivc  calls,  not 
sudden  ''hunches"  or  ''Saturday  and  Sunday  home" 
lines. 

The  primarj^  object  in  routing  men  is  efficiency  in  cover- 
ing territory.  The  best  salesman  in  <lie  world,  if  left  to 
himself,  has  a  tendency  to  slight  certain  towms,  lay  off 
Saturday  and  Sunday,  or  make  long  jumps  to  Sunday  at 
home. 


Controlling  Salesmen 


253 


All  of  these  things  are  overcome  if  the  men  are  properly 
routed  from  the  office.  Figure  5  is  a  sample  weekly  route 
sheet  in  its  simplest  form. 

In  conjunction  with  the  route  sheet  system  a  change  route 
card  is  used  to  report  failures  to  make  towns  as  directed. 
It  is  self-explanatory. 


Week  of 


Salesmem ^:^^l- 


ROUTE  SHEET 


Q^^  /^^^^^..L^ 


Make  Following  Towns  on  Date  Named 


Date 


State 


Look  For  Mail  eis  Noted  Below 


&jif^J 


/JZw  jtA.<»'T-'-'^^ 


J^. 


(^J.'^vut.yi-'iL^a..^ 


-jl^X 


/T'Zta^vtXiAje^Jrx 


V <J  C-^^tA.eo'VCe    oy\M>-CA.^3'-\^ 


fyLiK<i,-&-'V'i^'V-LyC<-f 


Fig.  5.— The  Eoute  Sheet 


If  you  desire  a  graphic  picture  of  your  salesman's  cur- 
rent work,  use  a  map  and  tack  routing  system.  A  colored 
cord  attached  to  tacks  indicating  the  towns  he  is  to  make 
indicates  graphically  his  week's  work. 

It  is  possible  by  careful  work  with  the  routing  partially 
to  control  the  sales  of  the  men  and  the  credit  loss  of 
the  company. 


254 


Salesmatiship 


EXPLANATION  OF  FAILURE  TO 
MAKE  TOWN  AS  ROUTED 


State 


Wat  Routed  to  Make  On :_ 


^^^1.6v><     ^,    /9/S- 


Explain  Why  You  Did  Not  Make  Town  Per  Route 


:z£^j^ 


Date. 


^M^. 


%- 


Salesman. 


^/r^  /^llxL^ 


Fig.  6. — Change  Boute  Card 


Fio.  7.— Map  and  Tack  Diagram 


Controlling  Salesmen  255 

In  the  course  of  our  service  to  one  large  corporation  sell- 
ing grocers,  we  found  the  credit  loss  to  be  about  iy2  per 
cent  on  sales. 

It  developed  that  this  was  due  almost  entirely  to  the  fact 
that  the  salesmen,  left  to  themselves,  called  on  the  dealers 
they  felt  were  easiest  to  sell — incidentally  the  worst 
credit  risks. 

Something  had  to  be  done.  We  recommended  that  in 
addition  to  routing  the  men  according  to  the  towns  to 
be  made,  they  be  given  at  the  same  time  the  names  of  the 
dealers  to  be  seen  in  each  town. 

The  dealers  selected  by  the  office  were,  of  course,  care- 
fully *' hand-picked"  according  to  Dun  and  Bradstreet. 

The  combination  town  and  dealer  route  sheet  looked 
something  like  that  shown  in  Figure  8. 

Inside  of  one  year,  with  the  calls  laid  out  beforehand  for 
the  men,  the  percentage  of  credit  loss  was  reduced  from 
the  one  and  a  half  figure  to  five-eighths  of  one  per  cent. 

It  has  been  our  experience,  too,  that  salesmen  work  better 
when  their  work  is  carefully  specified  in  advance. 

We  have  found  that  simply  listing  in  advance  the  names 
of  prospects  or  merchants  for  salesmen  to  call  on  is  an 
excellent  way  to  increase  their  volume  of  business.  It 
makes  them  work  harder  by  giving  them  a  specific  duty  to 
perform. 


256 


Salesmanship 


Salesman 


ROUTE  AND  CALL  SHEET 


_^.0^_^:;1^^::^ 


See  Dialers  in  Order  Lifted  Per  Dataa 


Date 


De 


Town 


State 


Mail 


Jlf:it.l 


tM-ti-^yV.  v_^« 


gy^  i^xxyr-c-^^ 


a^^Zt^. 


^JO"^  gjL^d^. 


d^. 


(gu^ 


l^-7~iX>. 


(X.>^-T-£-<-t»<^-<i^^ 


7^ 


XiZtf-vi^  •? — 7T:::^v-t-'<-<>- 


'''^yi c^^'iA.aJijt^Ztc-^^ 


V 


^/?  ^/, 


^Vn-it.-^l/t-t*-/ 


^. 


(y^  iriA'>-«--^t<-*'»'v-«-  '^T-*-*. 


<=^ 


y^  ~i4/.  0\_<H-->-u« — 


'^%-**-^«-w»^-<_-d^ 


■<3^ 


V-V.5 


(^  p>>>^.  g^. 


-^^^^o^ 


Ca/u^^r  s^^o 


yj6ur^.(^. 


v^^ 


Flo.  8,— Bouto  and  Call  Sheet 


It  is  simply  the  application  of  Emerson's  efficiency  prin- 
ciple of  the  specified  task  versus  haphazard  working. 

The  less  detail  you  leave  to  your  salesmen,  the  more  time 
they  will  have  to  put  in  actually  selling:  and  the  fewer 
valid  excuses  they  will  linvc  to  offer  for  wasted  tmie. 


A   bi^  specialty  concern  whoso   |)rospects  were,  to   all 
intenta  and  purposes,  everybody  and  anybody  who  had 


Controlling  Salesmen  257 

the  money  to  pay  for  tlieir  goods  made  an  interesting 
experiment  in  this  connection. 

They  had  been  in  the  habit  of  turning  their  men  loose  in  a 
territoiy  without  leads  or  definite  call  instructions. 

The  result  was  that  even  their  best  men  worked  in  a  hap- 
hazard way.  The  old  rule,  ''What  is  ever5ijody's  busi- 
ness is  nobody's  business,"  worked  out  here  to  the  tune 
of  "When  every  man  is  a  prospect  for  my  proposition  I 
don't  know  -who  to  call  on  first,"  and  the  salesmen  spent 
a  lot  of  time  deciding. 

So — as  an  experiment,  the  sales  manager  of  this  com- 
pany, before  he  sent  a  man  into  a  town,  made  out  a  list 
of  the  people  he  thought  could  be  sold  and  turned  it  over 
to  the  salesman  on  indi\ddual  cards  with  instructions  to 
call  upon  and  report  on  each  one. 

The  results  were  wonderful.  The  minute  the  salesman 
landed  in  a  to^vn  he  knew  right  where  to  go.  The  second 
he  finished  with  one  man  he  was  ready  for  the  next  and 
knew  where  to  find  him. 

And  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  these  cards  represented  only 
people  whom  the  sales  manager  felt  were  possible  buyers, 
the  psychological  effect  upon  the  salesman  was  excellent; 
it  injected  just  a  little  more  stiffness  in  his  spine  and  put 
a  little  more  tenacity  in  his  selling  attitude. 

The  importance  of  routing  your  men  and  of  creating 
specified  tasks  or  standard  calls  for  them  can  hardly  be 
overestimated  if  you  expect  to  get  maximum  results  out 
of  the  force. 


258  Salesmanship 

The  portion  of  the  sales  direction  treated  on  above  corre- 
sponds to  the  instruction,  "Go  do  it." 

Now  comes  the  question  of  how  to  make  the  men  obey 
these  instructions. 

There  is  only  one  way  to  accomplish  that. 

DAILY   REPORTS 

And  that  lies  through  comprehensive  daily  reports  which 
keep  the  sales  manager  in  complete  touch  with  every 
move  the  man  makes  on  the  territory. 

As  a  complete  fundamental  daily  report  system,  we  have 
found  the  following  a  good  working  outline : 

(1)  Daily  Time  Reports 

(2)  Customer  Reports 

(a)  New  Customers 

(b)  Old  Customers 

(3)  Prospective  Purchaser  Reports 

(])  Time  Reports 

Under  the  workings  of  this  method,  the  salesman  at  the 
close  of  each  day  reports  to  his  house  the  general  dis- 
position of  his  time  from  eiglit-thirty  a.  m.  to  five-thirty 
p.  m. 

Figure  9  is  a  specimen  daily  time  report.  It  is  simple 
and  easily  understandable. 

The  thought  back  of  the  time  report  is  this :  The  average 
salesman  has  a  natural  tendency  to  waste  time  each  day 


Controlling  Salesmen 


259- 


DAILY  TIME  REPORT 


Date 


Salesman  , 


Time 


State  Briefly  DispKjsition  of  Time 


Result 


8:30 


Started  Work  f.    ^.    "^ 


9:30 
A.  M. 


«0  10:30 

A.  M. 


X:LW     /  O    o-'cZc-c4r 


O    ^o 


^;:z—z 


loll:30 

A.M 


//  ^^iA^^UK    ^'V^C  ^e^''-yv<.ayi,^ixy  /,^->-»>-^. 


C/l  <>-j..c^v<--^Le^u-»v^   o-<^^    '^ 


to  12:30 

P.M. 


,^o.txs..-v-*_  C^Cxy 


10  1:30 

P.M. 


oV 


10  2:30 

P.M. 


V  J^. 


to  3:30 

P.M. 


^J^J-^U^uJ-Tv-C^      3-^^ 


to  4:30 

P.M. 


-^C^->- 


^^~i^^^^<~S^^^3[IZ7 


G^'^-cCc.x^ 


to  5:30 

P.M. 


Remarka 


Stopped  Work     6       p.m 


Fig.  9. — Daily  Time  Eeport 


260  Salesmanship 

that  totals  into  an  apijalling  number  of  hours  in  the 
course  of  a  year.  'J'his  is  due  primarily  to  the  fact  that 
the  house  as  a  rule  docs  not  check  his  expenditure  of  time. 

His  day,  say  from  eight-thirty  a.  m.  to  five-thirty  p.  m., 
is  paid  for  by,  and  belongs  to,  his  employer. 

All  other  employes  have  to  account  for  their  time.  Why 
not  the  salesman? 

This  time  report  is  simple  and  easily  filled  out.  It  has  a 
strong  moral  influence  on  the  fellow  making  it — a  ten- 
dency to  drive  home  to  him  the  value  of  his  time.  It  is 
an  influence  toward  making  him  start  a  little  earlier  in 
the  morning  and  a  preventive  of  ** knocking  off"  too  early 
in  the  afternoon. 

So  far  as  I  know,  this  daily  tume  report  is  original  with 
ns  and  wherever  we  have  installed  it  in  combination  with 
the  other  sales  controls  it  has  invariably  worked  out  in 
a  highly  satisfactory  manner. 

The  time  report  gives  us  the  general  disposition  of  the 
man's  time. 

(2)  Cvstovier  Rr ports 

"We  next  have  to  consider  tlie  results  of  his  work  as  shown 
by  the  two  classes  of  reports:  new  customer  and  old 
customer. 

Tn  the  hands  of  the  earcfnl  sales  manager,  these  reports 
<]o  two  things:  (1)  They  give  him  a  graphic  view  of  the 
results  of  the  salesman's  work  day  by  day  and  (2)  they 


Controlling  Salesmen 


261 


make  possible  a  follow-up  from  the  house  which  greatly 
enhances  the  personal  ell'orts  of  the  men  in  the  field. 

For  the  sake  of  convenience  in  handling  and  graphic  com- 
parison, we  recommend  different  colors  and  individual 
reports  on  each  class  of  buyer. 


Name 


Town . 


NEW  CUSTOMER  REPORT 


JzyL-jt^^  ^Co--*-^ 


State. 


.^^T'^'g-r-t^-^t^ 


Salesman . 


^""^AA-rx^^i^ 


Pate 


,  ?/^///J- 


v_^--->-?v^-iwC- 


.--;^3^-g-tf->^<-^^a^ 


^-0-^^-<-^^^'>->7-e'>X^<^    .      yj-ji.^       ^^—(X—c^    JXA-^^-uyC'C^' 


<^  JiA'iyi.y^yf.^       g;>c^-t^-g^-<3       'gjL-cx.-og/cl,^^. 


Fig.  10. — New  Customer  Report 

'New  Customers. — Figure  10  is  an  example  of  the  general 
character  of  these  reports  and  the  co-operation  work  from 
the  oflSce  they  make  possible. 


The  sales  manager,  upon  recei^^ng  this  report  and  accept- 
ing the  order,  issues  a  letter  somewhat  along  the  follow- 
ing lines : 


-()12  Salesmanship 

DSiLB   Mu.    MlLLLR: 

Our  Mr.  Ward  pent  in  your  order  for  a.  dozen  TT.irvMter 
Hay  Carriers. 

This  really  roj>roscnt8  more  than  face  value  to  us,  an  it  ia 
a  first  order  from  a  new  cuBtomer. 

I  not  only  want  to  thank  you  for  the  business,  but  I  want 
to  assure  you  that  we  are  going  to  do  everything  in  our 
power  to  keep  your  account  active  on  our  books  and  give 
you  the  kind  of  service  that  makes  you  a  friend  as  well  as 
a  customer. 

The  Carriers  are  being  shipped  today. 

Very  truly  yours, 

S.VLES    Manaoeb. 

Now  a  lottor  of  that  general  character  going  out  to  every 
new  account  which  is  opened  tends  to  cement  the  rela- 
tions establislied  by  the  salesmen  and  to  make  the  cus- 
tomer feel  that  his  business  is  appreciated,  and  we  all 
like  appreciation. 

Old  Customers. — Next  the  sali'S  manager  takes  up  his 
reports  on  old  customers.  The  chances  are  that  90  per 
cent  of  them  require  only  a  formal  acknowledgment  of 
the  order  and  a  "tliank  you."  Hut  the  otlier  10  per  cent 
reveal  some  sfx-cial  situation  which  is  wortliy  of  indi- 
vidual attention. 

For  instance,  see  Figure  11. 

That  is  handled  something  like  this. 

Study  the  report  before  you  read  the  letter. 


Controlling  Salesmen 


263 


CUSTOMER  CALL  REPORT 


Town  . 
Dealer 


J^^l2^£^rt£2^-«-J^ 


/^t-«vaZ*'-M     dp  .    /C<-c^»t/ 


StAte 


.9^. 


ButinQu. 


/hj"^-'^. 


Sold  $_ 


/73.  76 


Satisfied  P. 


T-^? 


Retails  at  $. 


..^i; 


.  per  gal. 


Other  Paints  Sold  Here 


CAA/ 


z- 


per  gal._ 
.per  gal._ 


^/^y-cUJ^ 


_®-V 


fO 


fl._ 


-(5). 


/  -^      per  gal. 


Date 

Salesman. 


Sold    Items  Checked 


House  Paint 


Varnish 


White  Lead 


Br 


'^    .^fl^cX  y^^£^^ 


l^ 


1^ 


"J-'I-^'/k 


'<U^ 


C--^^^-t-\^ 


yCl.<\yl^iX>^ 


^iL-^i^^   '^^  /3U^  -^a.t^ 


(iC:^ 


CP. 


'  <»-c-^l-^ty^Oc-^- 


'C^^<^ 


t—t-^^Cc^ —    6^w<_-b    ,.'V*-»'>-T>'. 


Fi(i.  11. — Old  Customer  Eeport 
Dear  Mr.  SeTEchrist: 

Mr.  Kerr  wrote  ue  this  morning  enclosing  your  order  for 
House  Paint,  White  Lead,  and  Brushes,  for  which  we 
thank  you. 

But  the  most  important  part  of  his  letter  was  the  state- 
ment that  the  last  shipment  you  received  was  broken  open 
in  transit  and  you  had  to  sacrifice  some  of  the  goods. 

You  know,  without  my  saying  so,  that  we  deeply  regret 
this  occurrence  and,  as  actions  speak  louder  than  words,  if 
you  will  let  me  know  what  you  estimate  you  lost  on  thi» 
account,  we  will  gladly  credit  you  for  the  amount. 

I  have  personally  instructed  our  shipping  department  to 
pack  all  your  orders  in  wooden  crates  in  the  future;  so 
you  will  not  have  the  same  trouble  again. 

Very  truly  yours, 


18 


Sales  Manages. 


264 


Salesmanship 


On  tlic  faro  of  it,  tliat  letter  mii^lit  soom  to  invite  a  kick. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  heads  off  one;  it  is  the  little  touch 
of  personal  interest  that  in  tlie  long  run  totals  up  as  cus- 
tomer insurance. 

It  may  seem  peculiar  but  it  is  a  fact  that  the  average  busi- 
ness house  seems  inclined  to  spend  more  time  and  money 
in  getting  new  customers  than  in  holding  old  ones. 

The  lost-account  list  of  an  institution  that  has  been  in 
business  for  ten  or  more  years  as  a  rule  holds  a  greater 
number  of  names  than  the  current  ledgers  of  open 
accounts.  Careful  watching  of  individual  cases  is  sound 
insurance  of  minimum  lost  accounts. 


^ 


PROSPECT  REPORT 


Denier  QjH^^    Q^^-^-^uc^      (2^. 


Bufii 


Slate 


J^tU^ 


c^^c/: 


Brand  Mixed  Paint  Sold 


Brand  White  Lead  Sold 


Brand  Vamiili  Slain  Sold 


^^^    ^^' 


V— '^t/W-<>'^4p 


Qa^-<*^--^^f-<^ 


What  Chance  to  Sell  ? 'r. 

When  in  Market  >  /jZ^-ey^.     / 


Buyer 

Yearly  Purchaic»_ 


Handled  Preaenl  Line   o     Ye 
Point  Retail*  Here  at    $ 


OO 


per  gal. 


Dnte    _^^M^       f_/^/l 


Remark*. 


^''t^-^y^.CZ^    S^^UAut^ 


iA>^\,*^     c:CA.-a< 


_^<<Cc..J/ 


Sale 


c/^>SU.v 


Fio.  12. —  I'roHpect  Hcport 


Controlling  Salesmen  -05 

(3)  Prospects 

Next  comes  the  report  on  the  fellow  whom  the  salesman 
considers  a  good  prospect — the  man  who  is  going  to  buy 
next  trip  around. 

A  specimen  of  that  report  is  shown  in  Figure  12. 

And  the  sales  department  gets  busy  with  something  like 
this: 

Deak  Mr.  Joxes: 

We  thank  you  for  the  time  you  spent  vnth  and  the  courtesy 
extended  our  Mr.  Kerr. 

Under  separate  cover  we  are  sending  our  complete  cata- 
logue and  coufiilcntial  discount  list  as  requested. 

"We  will  see  that  Mr.  Hart  calls  on  you  about  December  1, 
at  which  time  we  hope  to  have  the  pleasure  of  booking 
your  first  order  for  our  line. 

Accept,  please,  the  writer 's  personal  assurance  that  we  are 
going  to  do  everjihing  in  our  power  not  only  to  secure 
your  business  but  to  hold  it. 

Truly  yours, 

Sales  Manager. 

And  on  top  of  that  letter  to  the  prospective  purchaser,  a 
record  goes  in  the  sales  department  tickler  which  insures 
the  salesman's  being  routed  back  there  at  the  appointed 
time. 

Incidentally,  the  tickler  system  of  follow-up  on  promised 
orders  cuts  down  the  glowing  prospective  business  prom- 
ises of  the  salesman  to  something  like  the  truth. 


266  Salcsynanship 

After  a  man  lias  been  routed  hack  over  a  lot  of  merchants 
whom  be  reported  as  good  jH'ospects  when  they  were 
nothing  of  the  kind,  he  gets  a  little  chary  of  promising 
things  that  he  cannot  make  good  on. 

"ginger"  letters 

A  while  ago  we  spoke  of  starting  a  man  out  in  the  morn- 
ing with  a  good  taste  in  his  mouth  and  a  disposition  to  be 
up  and  at  it. 

One  writer  on  this  subject  takes  more  space  severely  to 
rap  and  reprimand  the  "ginger  talk"  idea  than  he  does 
to  suggest  a  satisfactory  substitute  for  it. 

Let's  look  this  thing  fairly  in  the  face. 

You  can't  got  out  each  morning  and  grasp  your  salesmen 
by  the  hand,  give  them  a  slap  on  tlie  back,  and  get  them 
started  off  on  the  right  foot. 

But  you  can  reach  them  through  the  mail. 

Irrespective  of  what  anybody  may  think  of  "ginger'^ 
lett<'rH,  I  am  for  them — strong.  And  the  only  reason  I 
feel  this  way  is  simply  because  I  Inioir  they  produce 
results. 

Here  is  a  specimen  of  tiie  kind  of  lettfr  that  starts  a  man 
off  with  just  a  little  more  speed  than  he  would  have  had 
if  he  hadn't  received  it.  And  that  little  more  speed  is 
well  worth  the  two  cent,s  it  costs  to  carrv  it. 


Controlling  Salesmen  2G7 


Deab  Emebt  : 


Do  you  suppose  that  while  the  Wright  brothers  were 
inventing  the  heavier- than -air  flying  machine,  their 
thoughts  ran  along  the  line  of  "It  can 't  be  done ' ' f 

No  I     They  believed — and  they  won. 

If  you  leave  the  hotel  this  morning  without  the  absolute 
certainty  in  your  mind  that  you  are  going  to  seU,  you  're 
going  to  do  yourself  an  injustice. 

Figure  it  out  before  you  go  out.  You  know  you've  sold 
before;  the  goods  have  made  enthusiastic  users.  Go  over 
the  talking  points  in  your  mind.  Get  steam  up  before  you 
start. 

Convince  yourself  that  you  're  going  to  sell  and  you  will. 

Ill  look  for  orders  today. 

Yours  truly, 

I  don't  advance  that  as  a  model  letter. 

Far  from  it  1 

But — it  feeds  the  salesman  just  one  little  thought;  it's  a 
long-distance  hand-shake  that  might  help  overcome  the 
depressing  effects  of  a  bad  night's  sleep  and  a  poor 
breakfast. 

And  the  multiplications  of  little  things  make  the  big 
ones. 

I've  known  of  salesmen  who,  when  they  weren't  reached 
often  enough  by  the  house,  wired  in,  "Write  me  a  letter." 
They  w^anted  this  moral  support  and  they  were  entitled 
to  it. 


268  Salesmanship 

Enoucrli.  Tlioro  is  tlio  ,c:onoral  outline  to  go  by.  Its  specific 
ai)i)lic4ilioii  to  your  own  business  is  up  to  you. 

Review 

Now^  lot's  re\new  the  situation.  Under  the  field  control 
which  we  have  just  outlined,  your  routing  system  directs 
the  men  where  to  go — whom  to  see;  it  insures  minimum 
mileage  and  maximmn  time  in  the  fiel<l. 

Remember  that  the  only  time  which  really  counts  where 
a  salesman  is  concerned  is  the  actual  time  he  spends  talk- 
ing to  a  man  who  can  buy  what  he  has  to  sell.  I  can't 
repeat  that  too  often. 

Your  routing  system  has  directed  the  men — given  them  a 
working  schedule  to  live  up  to — a  specified  task. 

Each  morning  or  each  week,  as  the  case  may  necessitate, 
they  receive  a  little  morning  "ginger"  along  with  their 
call  at  the  clerk's  desk. 

At  the  end  of  the  day  tli<ir  time  reports  tell  you  just  how 
their  hours  have  been  put.  in. 

Their  new  customer  reports  give  you  a  cliance  to 
co-oj)erate  and  are  an  index  as  to  their  aggressiveness  in 
this  direction. 

Their  old  customer  reports  give  you  the  key  to  the  trade 
and  another  gauge  on  tiie  work  tln-y  are  doing. 


Controlling  Salesmen  269 

The  i)rosp('ct  reports  are  indexed  on  the  "eall  again" 
tickler  and  work  is  done  to  get  them  in  shape  for  the 
salesman's  next  visit. 

In  other  words,  the  ofTice  is  directing  the  salesmen  and 
doing  the  detail  work  for  them. 

What  has  the  salesman  himself  to  do? 

(1)  Sell  the  Goods 

(2)  Make   Daily   R-eports 

And  the  less  you  give  the  salesman  to  do,  apart  from 
making  his  daily  reports,  the  closer  you  are  putting  him 
to  the  full  possibilities  of  himself  and  liis  territory. 

I  fully  realize  that  many  sales  executives  will  say,  ''But 
my  salesmen  won't  submit  to  routing  and  positively 
refuse  to  make  detailed  daily  reports." 

If  you  feel  that  you  have  that  problem  to  solve,  just  ask 
your  factory  superintendent  what  he  would  do  with  a 
Avorkman  who  refused  to  conform  to  the  rules  of  the  plant 
during  working  hours. 

Your  factory  man's  answer  will  give  you  yours. 

TEST   QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  is  the  question  of  directing  the  men  in  the  field  a 
vitul  one  for  the  sales  manager? 

2.  Wliat  is  the  average  salesman's  method  of  using  his  time  in 
the  field  ? 

3.  ■^Miat  four  steps  arc  involved  in  the  question  of  controlling 
men  in  the  field? 


270  Salesmanship 

4.  What  are  the  four  practical  methods  of  haudliug  these 
questions  t 

5.  IIow  would  you  handle  expense  accounts? 

6.  AYliat  three  points  shoidd  be  obsonod  in  the  routing  of 
salesmen  ? 

7.  What  three  tj^^es  of  reports  should  be  demanded  from  a 
salesman  f 

8.  What   question    should    be    covered   in    the    old-customer 
reports? 

9.  What  use  should  the  ssdes  manager  make  of  these  reports  T 

10.  How  may  the  salesman  be  encouraged  to  make  reports  o!i 
prospects  T 

11.  What  arguments  may   be   advanced   for  the  use  of  the 
"ginger  letter"? 

12.  What  should  be  the  nature  and  content  of  a  good  "ginger 
letter"? 


DmSION  VI 
the  sales  manager's  records 

Records  for  the  Executive 

How  can  I  keep  conditions  at  my  finger  tips? 

When  the  President  of  the  First  National  Bank  wants  to 
know  the  average  balance  of  the  Gem  Soap  Company,  he 
doesn't  ask  for  a  sheet  full  of  deposits  or  withdrawals. 
A  slip  of  paper  two  inches  square  will  carry  the  figures 
he  wants. 

And  the  sales  manager  should  be  in  the  same  position. 
Instead  of  being  forced  to  dig  through  loose-leaf  books  a 
foot  high  and  two  yards  wide  with  a  sheet  of  paper  and  a 
pencil,  instead  of  being  obliged  to  keep  three  girls  busy 
four  days  going  through  records,  he  should  be  able  almost 
instantly  to  put  his  fingers  on  the  individual  situation  or 
condition  of  any  salesman,  customer,  town,  or  territory 
in  the  business. 

To  do  this,  he  must  have  certain  records  that  deal  in 
totals — in  conditions. 

The  little  pocket-size  private  ledger  tells  more  about  the 
affairs  of  the  million-dollar  concern  in  five  minutes  than 
their  twenty-four  loose-leaf  books  and  journals  and  cash 
sheets  would  yield  in  two  months  of  careful  figuring. 

271 


272 


Salesmanship 


Tlu'  kiiowii'd^'-e  of  iiulhidual  yilualioiis  is  the  oiie  thing 
that  enables  him  to  secure  his  net  results  from  the  organi- 
zation as  a  whole. 

Classes  of  Records 

For  the  general  purpose  of  this  work,  three  classes  of 
oflice  records  will  give  the  sales  manager  a  complete 
grasp  and  instant  insight  into  the  individual  work  of  his 
salesmen  as  well  as  the  condition  of  to\\ms,  dealers,  and 
territories. 

INDIVIDUAL  salesman's   RECORD 

The  first  unit  is  the  individual  salesman's  record  card. 

One  of  these  cards  is  kept  for  each  salesman.  Needless  to 
say,  they  are  kept  locked  up  secure  from  prying  eyes 
except  when  the  sales  manager  refers  to  them. 

The  card  is  started  by  entering  in  the  extreme  right-hand 
column  the  monthly  profits  which  tlie  salesman  made  for 
his  employer  during  the  previous  year. 

Each  week,  as  the  clerk  enters  the  orders,  the  salesman's 
salary  and  expenses  are  entered  in  their  resj)ectivo 
columns  as  well  as  his  gross  sales. 

At  the  end  of  the  month,  the  net  profits  from  his  gross 
sales  are  figured  and  entered  in  the  proper  cohinin;  his 
salary  and  expenses  are  totaled  and  (le<In<'led  from  the 
gross  prolit,  which  le.M\-es  the  one  thing  Ihe  employer  is 
most  int(;rested  in — the  net  rnoirr  which  tlie  salesman 
made  in  that  periofl. 


Sales  Records 


273 


j^/r 

INDIVIDUAL  SALESMAN'S 
RECORD  CARD 

1  / 

N«m^        , . 

c^"^  ::^:^i^.^x^ 

Territorv 

_9=^o,<-*c^ 

DateEmpIoved                ^f^/X-                  Ag.       '/'^                  C.r.A.    JXrrJ 

NET  PROFIT  FOR  PRECEDING  YEAR 

$  XJ^X^° 

Month 

Salary 

Expenses 

Gross  Sales 

Profit 

Net  Profit 

S^mf  I'-rnod 

^(M^^. 

zs.So 

boo.  So 

a 

^Z.'/o 

^'ff.  /o 

ZO.  lO 

^S/.  -2.0 

/So 

ZGJS 

(ois:  Go 

^IZ.T^i 

Z5J30 

Totals  For 

2S7.30 

3/0l(^ 

Totals  For 

Totals  For 

/^ 

I          ^     . 

P"^""^"^ 

— r'~-^,^_^      1 

Fig.  13. — Individual  Record  Card 


"274  Salesmanship 

Whotlier  he  is  goiiiij:  ahead  or  goiiiLC  behind  is  readily 
shown  by  a  comparison  of  profits  with  the  same  period 
for  the  year  before. 

While  there  is  no  basis  for  comparison  with  a  new  sales- 
man, the  deadly  net  profit  column  shows  his  status  and 
red  ink  will  sers'e  as  a  debit  figure  should  it  prove 
necessary. 

A  once-a-month  analj^sis  of  these  cards  is  the  best  pos- 
sible basis  for  criticism,  commendation,  and  help  to  the 
men.  They  tell  no  lies.  Large  volume  on  small  margin 
means  nothing.  There  is  no  injection  of  personality ;  nt:t 
PROFIT  tells  its  owTi  story. 

That  is,  in  a  nutshell,  the  key  to  the  individual  salesmen 
and  their  performance.  If  the  executive  desires,  a  key 
card,  recapping  the  sales  and  profits  of  the  force  as  an 
entirety,  may  be  added. 

MAP  AND  TACK  SYSTEM 

We  have  next  to  do  with  the  territory. 

First  of  all,  a  7unp  and  tack  system  kept  up  to  date.  Let 
the  maps  show  customers  in  one  color  of  tacks  and  pros- 
pects in  another.  The  map  and  tack  system  fits  any  busi- 
ness or  condition.  The  combinations  of  different-colored 
and  different-sized  tacks  enable  us  to  tack  up  a  map  for 
any  institution.  It  is  hardly  worth  while  taking  space 
h'-re  to  go  into  the  detail  of  tliis.  All  the  big  filing  cabinet 
houses  issue  literal  uic  which  explains  the  system 
thoroughly. 


Sales  Records  275 

Jnst  boar  in  mind  the  fact  that  for  a  graphic  panoramic 
view  of  territories  and  conditions  therein,  the  map  and 
tack  system  is  invaluable. 

RECORDS  OF  INDIVIDUAL  SALlESMEN 

Now  for  the  detailed  record  of  what's  happening  where 
the  salesmen  are  or  should  be  traveling. 

This  can  take  the  form  of  individual  cards  or  one  large 
card,  as  you  may  desire. 

In  the  majority  of  cases,  records  should  be  kept  by  towns. 

Let  the  cards  be  divided  into  three  classes  and  colors  just 
a^  the  salesman's  daily  reports  are.  For  instance,  new 
customers,  pink;  old  customers,  blue;  and  prospective 
buyers,  white. 

In  filing  under  the  towns,  for  example,  Sheboygan,  Wis- 
consin, would  have  one  white  card  for  every  dealer  you 
are  willing  to  sell  in  that  town  or  who  has  been  called  on 
without  results. 

The  pink  cards  in  the  file  would  indicate  merchants  who- 
have  made  just  one  purchase.  The  minute  their  second 
purchase  is  made  they  would  be  transferred  to  blue  cards, 
which  signify  a  steady  buyer. 

A  glance  at  the  date  of  the  last  order  from  any  merchant 
as  recorded  on  these  cards  serves  as  a  basis  for  follow-up 
work. 

All  of  the  towns  a  salesman  makes  would  be  filed  under 
his  name  and  his  daily  reports  entered  on  the  individual 


276  Salesmanship 

cards.  If  you  wanted  to  know  liow  Bill  Burke  is  coveriu^^ 
his  territory,  a  i;:lan('c  over  his  cards  will  tell  you  how 
many  towns  he  has  nia<le,  tiic  ones  he  has  skipped,  how 
often  he  ealls  on  his  customers,  what  he  neglects,  what  he 
oNcrworks,  etc.,  etc.,  etc. 

W  ith  an  ((luipnient  of  this  character  a  sales  manager  can 
know  every  minute  just  where  his  men  stand,  just  how 
the  tield  looks  from  a  bird's-eye  view,  as  well  as  the  abso- 
lute facts  about  the  individual  conditions  of  all  the  towns 
and  merchants  in  the  iicM  he  is  working. 

TEST  QUESTIONS 

1.  With  what  classes  of  records  is  the  sales  manager  cliiefly 
concerned '/ 

2.  In  what  fonn  does  the  sales  manager  desire  this  informa- 
tion ?    How  is  it  supplied  at  ids  desk? 

;i  Wliat  information  should  be  contained  on  the  individual 
salesman 's  record  ? 

4.  What  are  the  chief  advantages  of  a  map  and  tack  system? 

5.  What    sales    records   should    be    filed    geographicjdly    ])y 

towns? 

G.  How  does  follow-up  work  enter  into  successiful  sales  admin- 
istration f 


DIVISION  vn 

hiring  the  new  saxesman 

The  Appalling  Waste 

Every  year  American  corporations  put  out  thousands 
upon  thousands  of  new  salesmen. 

How  many  make  good? 

**One  man  out  of  every  two  hundred,"  says  the  head  of 
the  biggest  wire  product  concern  in  America. 

Says  the  sales  manager  of  a  hardware  specialty  com- 
pany, "If  out  of  thirty  new  men  one  stays  on  my  force 
and  qualifies,  I  am  satisfied." 

Consider  not  only  the  money  loss  in  putting  out  these 
men  who  fail,  but  think  of  the  customers  and  prospects 
they  spoil ;  think  of  what  they  do  to  the  reputation  of 
their  house;  consider  the  time  wasted  in  training  them. 

Money  lost  on  salesmen  who  fail  in  the  field  totals  into 
millions  of  dollars  every  year. 

If  you  consider  tliat  statement  exaggerated,  talk  vrith  the 
beads  of  a  few  concerns ;  ask  them  how  much  money  they 
lose  per  year  on  men  who  fail  to  make  good.  It  will  open 
your  eyes. 

277 


1.'78  Salesmanship 

Hiring  on  Looks 

And  in  connection  with  hiring  salesmen,  line  up  the  aver- 
age field  force  at  a  convention  and  look  them  over. 

How  many  would  you  hire  if  they  walked  In  applying  for 
positions? 

Probably  not  over  10  per  cent  of  them.  Yet  they  are  all 
producers — successful  men. 

That  proves  one  thing:  You  can't  successfully  hire  men 
on  the  basis  of  their  looks. 

Hiring  on  a  "Hunch" 

The  poorest-appearing  salesman  may  be  the  best  pro- 
ducer in  the  field.  The  best-looking  man  may  be  the 
biggest  ** fizzle." 

Somehow  or  other,  most  executives  have  the  mistaken 
idea  that  the  selecting  of  good  salesmen  is  a  happy 
faculty — a  CJod-sent  gift  with  some,  but  never  to  bo 
acquired  by  the  majority. 

I  will  grant  you  that  under  the  "Imiidi"  system  of  hiring, 
one  man  may  consistently  have  better  luck  than  another. 

l>ut  for  that  matter,  a  tyro  at  tlic  race  track  may  pick 
more  winners  than  the  bookmaker  with  years  of 
experience. 

Jufit  BO  long  as  salesmen  nre  selected  and  hired  on  the 
hit  or  miss  luck  basis,  the  percentage  of  successes  will 
continue  to  be  deplorably  low. 


Hiring  Salesmen  279 

Hiring  on  an  Organized  Basis 

But  the  minute  the  sales  manager  organizes  his  hiring 
just  as  he  has  organized  his  force  and  the  handling  of  it, 
he  will  greatly  reduce  his  percentage  of  failures. 

I  have  always  cJaimed  that  I  can  tell,  after  an  interview, 
whether  or  not  a  man  can  sell.  But  whether  or  not  he 
drinks,  runs  after  women,  loafs,  or  lacks  persistency — all 
things  which  discount  his  ability — that  is  not  so  self- 
evident. 

And  these  things  count  just  as  strongly  against  a  man  as 
his  other  qualifications  do  for  him. 

A  rather  striking  example  of  the  difference  between 
employing  salesmen  on  an  organized  basis  and  along 
hit-or-miss  lines  is  exemplified  in  the  experience  of 
one  of  our  clients,  a  large  manufacturer. 

Their  sales  force  number  twenty-one  men,  and  to  blanket 
the  territory  as  we  all  agreed  that  it  should  be  covered 
would  take  at  least  thirty-five  salesmen. 

Now  the  twenty-one  men  on  their  sales  force  represented 
the  survival  of  the  fittest  from  something  over  five  hun- 
dred men  who  had  been  started  out  as  salesmen  during 
the  preceding  ten-year  period. 

Think  of  it!  Out  of  five  hundred  men  only  twenty -one 
proved  themselves  worthy  or  capable  of  earning  a  living 
on  the  road  and  making  a  profit  for  their  employers. 

One  man  out  of  twenty-three  I 


280  Sales7nanship 

And  in  spite  of  what  any  outsider  might  think,  this  aver- 
age was  not  a  reflection  upon  the  sales  manager  or  his 
ability.  The  business  was  particularly  difficult  and  men 
of  proper  qualifications  were  few  and  far  between. 

You  will  remember  that  we  wanted  to  add  fourteen  men 
to  our  forc«  as  soon  as  possible. 

Under  the  old  ratio,  to  find  fourteen  new  men  meant  that 
we  must  employ,  train,  and  trj-  out  about  three  himdred 
and  twenty  or  more  men  to  find  enough  to  qualify. 

Entirely  apart  from  the  expense  question,  the  time 
element  entered  so  strongly  into  the  situation  that  this 
could  not  be  considered  for  one  moment. 

So  an  operating  plan  was  carefully  worked  out. 

The  first  thing  we  did  was  to  analyze  the  men  who  had 
failed  to  make  good — the  reasons  why  they  didn't 
produce. 

Wlien  this  analysis  was  completed  and  recapitulated,  we 
had  a  complete,  concise  list  of  the  specific  things  that  in 
general  would  tend  to  make  men  fail  on  that  particular 
proposition. 

Then  we  went  over  the  successful  men,  listed  their  quali- 
fications and  put  them  doAvn  on  paper. 

At  this  point,  we  had  the  actual  facts — the  things  we  must 
havp  in  a  man  and  the  things  the  man  must  not  have — 
factfl  derived  from  actual  experience — costly  experience 
— not  theory. 


Hiring  Salesmen  281 

As  a  result  of  these  specifications  plus  thorough  investi- 
gation of  the  men  we  considered  and  a  careful  training 
iDefore  they  wont  out,  we  recruited  our  fourteen  men  in 
four  months'  time  and  they  represented  the  pick  of  just 
exactly  thirty  men  sent  out  on  trial. 

As  against  the  old  average  of  one  man  out  of  twenty- 
three  making  good,  under  the  new  plan  we  achieved  a 
record  of  almost  one  man  out  of  every  two  sent  out  mak- 
ing a  success  for  us  and  himself. 

I  should  certainly  hate  to  set  that  percentage  up  as  a 
mark  to  be  duplicated.  Nevertheless,  it  has  been  done 
and  an  application  of  saner,  sounder  methods  to  the 
emplojTnent  of  salesmen  and  their  preparation  before 
being  sent  out  will  inevitably  raise  the  average  of  suc- 
cesses. 

Hiring  Stars 

The  trouble  wdth  most  of  us  in  hiring  salesmen  is  that 
we're  looking  for  the  star — the  fellow  who  is  going  to 
turn  the  world  upside  dowTi  in  a  minute — the  born  sales- 
man. 

That  is  wrong — absolutely  wrong. 

In  the  first  place  the  born  salesman,  sheerly  through 
knowledge  of  his  own  ability,  stands  on  his  own  feet  and 
is  his  own  boss ;  he  refuses  to  get  in  line ;  he  is,  as  a  class, 
insubordinate  and  a  trouble-maker. 

Give  me  a  sales  force  made  up  of  average  salesmen  who 
are  better  than  the  average  on  my  particular  line,  simply 
because  I  have  added  to  their  own  ability,  through  care- 


282  Salesmanship 

fill  training,  a  knowledge  of  my  product  and  proposition 
that  gets  the  business.  That's  the  kind  of  force  you  can 
handle  and  get  results  with. 

The  plodder— the  plugger — in  the  long  run  gets  more  for 
his  concern,  stays  longer,  and  causes  fewer  sleepless 
nights  than  the  ready-made  star. 

One  of  the  most  brilliant  business  men  I  know,  through 
sheer  force  of  circumstances,  has  demonstrated  the 
economics  of  making  men  rather  than  buying  them  ready- 
made. 

He  is  a  working  miracle  himself — a  business  phenome- 
non; he  knows  all  ends  of  his  business  and  knows  them 
well. 

Owing  to  a  money  handicap  bade  in  the  early  days  when 
he  was  his  own  bookkeeper,  plant  superintendent,  and 
sales  manager,  he  was  forced  to  hire  mediocre — yes,  very 
mediocre — salesmen.  But  before  he  sent  a  man  on  the 
road,  he  poured  into  that  man  what  ho  himself  knew 
about  selling  his  own  goods. 

As  a  result,  his  salesmen  sold  and  his  business  grew. 
Then  for  lack  of  time,  he  was  forced  to  let  go  of  the  book- 
keeping. He  hired  a  cheap  clerk  and  instructed  him. 
Next  he  educated  a  factory  superintendent,  and  as  a 
ro«ult  of  this  educational  work  of  his  he  has  today  a  ten 
thousand  dollar  auditor,  wliom  he  pays  five,  an  eight  thou- 
sand dollar  factory  superintendent,  who  receives  four,  and 
a  fifteen  thousand  dollar  sales  manager,  receiving  eight. 


Hiring  Salesmen  283 

This  man  has  made  out  of  the  material  at  hand  the  forces 
he  needed  in  his  business.    The  moral  is  obvious. 

In  employing  men,  let's  look  for  possibilities  rather  than 
stars;  let's  hire  the  fellow  who  will  take  what  we  give  him 
rather  than  the  man  who  already  feels  he  knows  it  alL 

Records  and  References 

When  a  man  who  wants  to  go  to  work  for  you  as  a  sales- 
man steps  in,  make  him  sell  you  his  services. 

Remember,  when  he  is  selling  your  goods  the  merchants 
are  not  going  to  make  it  easy  for  him.  Act  accordingly. 
Judge  of  how  he  will  sell  your  merchandise  to  others  by 
the  way  he  tries  to  sell  you  his  wares. 

Right  here  w^e  arrive  at  the  fact  that  there  are  thousands 
of  men  who  have  all  the  qualifications  of  selling  success 
but  have  a  screw  loose  back  where  it  doesn  't  show.  These 
fellows  can  and  do  sell  themselves  to  the  queen's  taste, 
but  when  it  comes  to  selling  their  employer's  goods  they 
either  won't  or  can't.  Their  ambition  seems  to  be  meas- 
ured by  the  length  of  time  they  can  stay  on  a  pay-roll 
without  producing. 

There  is  just  one  way  to  head  off  this  class  of  men  before 
they  get  in. 

That  way  lies  through  a  careful  investigation  of  the 
previous  records  of  all  applicants  and  a  checking  up  of 
their  statements  with  what  their  former  employers  have 
to  say  about  them. 


284  Salestnanship 

The  average  man  writes  a  letter  recommending  an 
emj)Ioye  whieh  is  so  general  in  character  that  the  appli- 
cant could  make  almost  any  kind  of  a  wild  statement  with- 
out the  fear  of  being  checked  up. 

"When  YOU  are  talking  with  an  applicant  ask  him  definitely 
what  his  sales  were  for  a  certain  period  for  his  last 
employer.  "Write  down  the  figures  and  when  you're  look- 
ing up  his  references  ask  his  former  boss  definite  ques- 
tions that  will  give  you  a  chance  to  check  up  the  truth  of 
his  statements. 

Take  your  time  about  hiring;  weigh  your  own  judgment 
in  the  balance  with  the  verdict  of  others. 

When  in  doubt,  don't. 

But  when  you  are  finally  sold  and  to  employ  a  man,  give 
him  a  training,  before  putting  him  on  the  road,  which  will 
afford  him  maximum  chances  for  making  good  in  the 
field. 

This  matter  of  training  is  definitely  treated  in  the  next 
division. 

TEST  QUESTIONS 

1.  How  rruK'h  drn's  it  cost  to  hire  a  new  salesman!     How  is 
this  expense  to  he  charged  ? 

2.  What  per  cent  of  men  hind  make  good  in  the  field?    How 
may  this  p<'r  cent  he  increased? 

3.  Is  it  safe  to  hire  salesmen  simply  on  tluir  looks? 

4.  What  are  the  o!)jection8  to  hiring  on  u  "hunch"? 

5.  What  factors  are  taken  into  consideration  when  hirinp:  on 
an  organized  basis? 


Hiring  Salesmen  *  285 

6.  What  dangers  arc  there   to  hiring  "stars"   from   other 
coocems? 

7.  "What  limitations  are  there  to  the  use  of  "references"  in 
deciding  upon  the  qualifications  of  a  man? 

8.  If  you  were  hiring  a  salesman,  how  would  you  make  him 
prove  his  record? 

9.  Name  at  least  three  big  sources  from  which  losses  follow 
as  the  result  of  employing  salesmen  that  fail  to  make  good. 

10.  Using  the  four  milestones  of  this  treatise  as  well  as  your 
own  experience  for  a  guide,  how  would  you  proceed  to  find  the 
right  kind  of  salesman  for  your  position  ? 

11.  Analyze  the  secret  of  the  success  or  failure  of  at  least  six 
sales  managers  with  whose  work  you  are  acquainted. 


DmSION  VIII 
training  saluesmen 

Training  Brings  Results 

D.  K.  Cass,  dean  of  the  manufacturers  in  his  line,  leaned 
back  in  a  walnut  oflSce  chair  and  brought  the  tips  of  his 
lingers  together. 

"Young  man,  you  can't  increase  the  sales  of  my  men 
through  training  them,"  and  his  statement  sounded  as  if 
he  believed  it. 

Thirty  days  later  we  had,  from  a  careful  expenditure  of 
time  in  the  field,  gathered  and  correlated  all  the  methods 
of  his  most  successful  men,  the  common  objections  they 
met  with,  and  their  rebuttals  to  the  same. 

The  whole  thing  was  shortened  and  put  in  talking  English 
with  a  beginning,  a  middle,  and  an  end. 

One  of  his  mediocre  salesmen  was  called  in,  coached  in 
the  standardized  sales  talk  for  three  days,  and  then  sent 
back  on  the  road. 

lie  increased  his  business  50  per  cent. 

A  knowledge  of  what  to  sny  and  how  to  say  it  raised  his 
sales  average  phenomenally. 

286 


Training  Salesmen  287 

We  had  shown  that  man  how;  we  had  placed  in  his  mouth 
the  best  arguments — the  best  presentations — of  the  most 
successful  men  selling  the  same  line — the  right  way  to 
meet  objections. 

And  the  result  was  inevitable. 

Unskilled  Salesmanship 

A  man  studies  three  years  to  become  a  lawyer,  spends  six 
years  in  training  for  medicine,  but  the  embryo  salesman 
goes  out  on  the  road  to  sell  goods  with  no  basis,  no  train- 
ing. His  equipment  consists  of  a  sample  case,  a  smatter- 
ing of  information  about  his  proposition,  and  a  chance  to 
make  good. 

In  other  words,  the  great  majority  of  salesmen  today  are 
untrained,  unskilled  labor.  Actual  experience  is  their 
only  school. 

Training  Methods 

Certain  men  in  your  sales  force  are  better  than  others. 

Why? 

Entirely  apart  from  the  personality  end  of  it,  simply 
because  their  presentations,  their  methods,  are  better. 

All  right.  Put  these  best  methods  in  the  hands  of  your 
other  men  and  if  they  use  them  honestly  they  are  simply 
bound  to  increase  their  business. 

And  the  new  salesman — the  fellow  you've  just  hired. 


288  Salesmanship 

Don't  let  him  go  out  on  the  road  to  practice  on  the  dealers 
with  only  an  equipment  of  samples,  prices,  business  cards, 
and  miscellaneous  facts. 

Keep  him  in  the  oflBce  until  you  are  satisfied  that  he  is  fit 
to  go  out. 

Train  him  first  in  the  details  of  your  line  or  product  or 
proposition.  Give  him  that  foundation  of  knowledge  and 
belief  which  must  be  there  before  he  can  sell. 

Then  train  him  in  the  actual  methods  used  by  your  most 
successful  men.  Put  the  words  in  his  mouth  to  be  used 
until  he  is  capable  of  supplanting  them  with  words  of  his 
own. 

Some  very  good  concerns  have  one  man  in  their  oflBce  to 
train  now  salesmen  and  another  man  to  judge  of  the 
effects  of  the  training. 

A,  for  instance,  trains  the  new  salesman.  Then  when  he 
feels  that  the  man  is  eflicient,  he  sends  liim  in  to  canvass 
B  on  tJie  line  just  as  he  would  a  prospective  purchaser 
in  the  field. 

Wlien  B,  from  his  perspective,  feds  that  the  new  sales- 
nuui  talks  tlie  proposition  well  and  knows  what  he  is  talk- 
ing about,  out  he  goes,  and  not  before. 

And  lliat  is  as  it  sliould  1)0. 

If  more  sales  managers  would  stop  to  consider  that  every 
raw,  inifitted  salesman  sent  on  a  territory  is  a  detriment 


Training  Salesmen  289 

to  the  house,  they  would  devote  more  time  to  preparation 
before  the  men  go  out  and  they  would  profit  thereby. 

A  business  concern  is  mirrored  to  the  merchants  it  sells 
in  the  representatives  it  sends  to  them. 

If  only  as  a  matter  of  policy,  before  any  new  salesman 
leaves  the  house,  satisfy  yourself  that  he  is  going  to  be  a 
good  advertisement  for  you  to  every  man  he  calls  on, 
whether  he  makes  an  ultimate  success  or  not. 

And  the  very  process  of  preparing  and  training  him  to  be 
a  good  advertisement  for  the  house  increases  his  chances 
for  success  tenfold. 

The  Case  of  Specialty  Companies 

The  specialty  companies  of  America  have  had  about  the 
hardest  sales  row  to  hoe  of  any  class  of  business. 

Take  the  National  Cash  Register  Company,  for  instance. 

In  the  days  gone  by  cash  registers  were  about  as  much  in 
general  demand  as  solid  gold  nails. 

The  merchants  did  not  realize  their  need.  The  salesmen 
had  to  awaken  demand  for  the  article  before  they  could 
secure  an  order. 

You  will  grant  that  this  certainly  took  a  higher  order  of 
salesmanship  than  to  sell  an  article  for  which  the  market 
was  created,  such  as  a  staple  hne  of  canned  goods,  for 
instance. 


290  Salesmanship 

On  the  face  of  it,  a  snap  judirmont  might  decide  that  tlie 
National  Cash  Register  Company  were  exceptionally  for- 
tunate in  finding  the  right  men. 

This  was  not  the  case. 

The  Register  people  made  their  salesmen ;  they  took  men 
of  ordinary  ability  and  gave  them  a  course  of  training 
which  made  them  Register  salesmen  of  more  than  average 
productiveness. 

And  the  fact  that  their  sales  force  is  and  has  been  for 
years  recognized  as  the  most  capable  sales  organization 
of  its  size  in  the  world,  speaks  volumes  for  the  effective- 
ness of  their  work  in  this  direction. 

In  one  of  their  earlier  sales  manuals  there  were  two  hun- 
dred and  forty-one  pages.  This  manual  answered  abso- 
lutely every  sensible  question  a  salesman  could  ask  about 
the  registers  and  how  to  sell  them. 

It  supplied  him  with  a  dozen  or  more  definite,  tangible 
methods  of  approaching  a  prospect  and  arousing  interest. 
It  gave  a  practical,  tlme-tested-and-found-true  demon- 
stration of  the  product.  It  clearly  outlined  the  various 
methods  of  securing  an  order.  It  contained  dozens  and 
dozens  of  convincing,  effective  rebuttals  to  every  common 
objection  found  in  a  mercliant's  mind  and  mouth. 

And  the  manual  was  and  is,  not  writing,  not  theory,  but 
a  book  built  out  of  experience  with  a  big  "E." 

To  insure  that  the  men  are  thoroughly  posted  and 
coached  beforo  tliey  go  (»ut,  a  school  is  conducted  down 


Training  Salesmen  291 

at  Dayton — a  school  of  cash  register  salesmanship.  Mark 
the  last  three  words  well. 

And  before  the  salesman  loads  bis  trunks  on  an  outgoing 
train  for  his  territory,  he  has  to  convince  his  instructors 
that  he  is  capable  of  giving  the  National  Cash  Register 
Company  effective  representation  in  the  field. 

Incidentally  it  is  my  honest  belief  that  about  95  per 
cent  of  the  printed  material  I  have  read  and  encountered 
on  salesmanship  can  be  traced  back  to  the  N.  C.  R. 
Primer. 

But  the  big  point  is  that  the  National  Cash  Register  Com- 
pany does  not  find  its  wonderful  salesmen.  It  makes 
them — educates  them. 

And  through  continual  co-operation,  contests,  and  con- 
ventions the  men  are  kept  up  to  a  white  heat  of  efficiency 
all  the  time. 

In  this  connection,  Mr.  J.  H.  Patterson,  President  of  the 
National  Cash  Register  Company,  states  that  he  spends 
75  per  cent  of  his  time  on  the  selling  end  of  his  business 
and  only  25  per  cent  on  the  manufacturing  end.  This  is 
due  to  the  realization  that  he  can  make  cash  registers 
much  faster  than  he  can  sell  them ;  that  the  manufactur- 
ing is  comparatively  simple.  The  real  problem  lies  in  the 
sales.  And  this  condition  exists  in  practically  every 
manufacturing  business  in  America,  although  most  con- 
cerns do  not  seem  to  realize  it.  And  this  matter  of 
training  men  is  one  of  the  things  that  help  to  bring  sales 
nearer  the  mark  of  factor\^  capacity. 


292  Salesmanship 

Train  Salesmen  in  Yoi'r  Line 

Many  a  manufacturer  with  whom  we  have  discussed  this 
subject  has  raised  the  objection  that  all  this  work  on  his 
part  was  wasted  when  a  salesman  made  a  change — that 
he  would  be  educating  men  for  his  competitors. 

It  is  a  peculiar  fact  that  some  of  the  biggest  cash  register 
producers  have  gone  into  other  fields  and  made  rank 
failures. 

This  is  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  their  education 
was  not  in  the  fundamental  principles  of  selling,  but  in 
the  direct  application  of  those  principles  to  selling  cash 
registers. 

Do  you  get  my  meaning? 

The  National  Cash  Register  Company  educates  ca^h 
register  salesmen  100  per  cent  for  the  requirements  of 
its  own  business. 

And  that  is  the  key  to  successful  training  work  in  any 
sales  organization. 

Standardize  the  talking  points  and  presentation  of  your 
proposition.  Classify  the  common  objections  and  get  the 
rebuttals  down  on  paper. 

Feed  all  of  your  present  force  tlic  ideas  of  the  best  men 
on  it.  Year  in  and  year  out,  keep  giving  them  new  ideas 
and  improved  versions  of  old  ones. 


Training  Salesmen  293* 

And  don't  let  a  sini^le  now  man  go  on  the  road  until  lio 
has  enough  knowh'dge  of  the  proposition  to  induce  belief 
and  make  intelligent  handling  possible.  Then  supply  him 
with  the  actual  words — the  outline  to  use  in  selling. 

It's  a  sound  move  toward  more  successes  and  more  sales. 

And  if  you're  afraid  of  a  parrot-like  repetition  of  the 
standard  canvass  which  you  give  your  men  to  use,  dismiss 
that  thought  from  your  mind  once  and  for  all.  Whether 
you  like  it  or  not,  each  man  is  going  to  alter  what  you 
give  him  to  suit  his  personality  and  the  individual  situ- 
ation. 

Any  move  in  this  direction  is  a  big  step  ahead. 

TEST  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  meant  by  unskilled  salesmanship? 

2.  Give   an   actual   illustration   from   your   own   experience 
where  training  brought  results. 

3.  What  are  some  of  the  things  that  training  attempts  to 
accomplish  ? 

4.  What  concerns  have  developed  salesmen's  training  schools 
to  the  highest  degree  of  efficiency  ? 

5.  How  is  the  objection,  "In  training  salesmen  one  is  pre- 
paring them  for  other  work,"  met  in  actual  practice? 

6.  Cite  the  methods  of  the  National  Cash  Register  Company. 


DIVISION  IX 
high-speed  helps 

Hard-Luck  Experiences 

Montgomery  covered  the  Coast  for  the  Unity  Plow  Com- 
pany. 

For  two  years  he  hadn't  been  in  to  the  home  office  at 
Racine. 

And  for  one  year  and  six  montlis  his  sales  had  been  on 
the  toboggan. 

Gregory,  the  Sales  Manager,  wired  him  to  come  in  at 
once. 

On  his  way  back,  Montgomery  stopped  at  Pierre  in  the 
Dakotas  and  took  an  order  (?)  for  one  of  the  new  Unity 
Spreaders  to  be  shipped  on  approval,  subject  to  return. 

As  he  entered  the  door  of  Gregory's  private  office,  the 
outstretched  liand  of  welcome  held  out  tlie  order  taken  at 
Pierre.    Gregor>'  looked  at  him  with  a  half-smile. 

"Montgomery,"  said  he,  "when  this  order  came  in 
the  morning's  mail  I  started  to  tear  it  in  two, 
but  on  second  thought,  knowing  that  yoii  were 
coming  in,  I  decided  to  hold  it  ajid  let  you  do  the 
294 


High-Speed  Helps  29& 

tearing  yourself.  That  isn't  the  kind  of  order  a 
full-grown  man  takes.  I  can  write  a  letter  to  a 
hundred — yes,  a  thousand — towns  and  get  the  local 
dealer's  permission  to  send  him  one  Unity  Spreader 
on  approval  at  our  expense.  We  don't  need  sales- 
men to  do  that." 

Montgomery  seated  himself  and  nervously  folded  and  re- 
folded the  refused  order. 

Gregory  leaned  forward  a  little ;  the  light  of  battle  was 
in  his  eyes  as  he  spoke. 

"Now,  Montgomery,  you've  been  representing  us 
on  the  Coast  for  ten  years.  Up  to  one  year  and  a 
half  ago,  your  business  was  eminently  satisfactory. 
Since  then  you've  been  sliding  downward  so  fast 
that  it's  simply  terrible.  I've  brought  you  in  over 
all  these  miles  to  ask  you  one  question — 'Why?'  " 

This  was  familiar  ground.    The  words  rolled  glibly  off 
Montgomery's  tongue  as  he  replied: 

"You  see,  Mr.  Gregory,  times  have  been  bad.  The 
dealers  have  not  been  buying  as  much  as  usual.  I 
can't  hold  my  sales  up,  let  alone  make  an  increase, 
because  the  merchants  aren't  stocking — aren't  sell- 
ing as  much  as  they  do  in  normal  times. ' ' 

Gregory  leaned  forward.     *'Is  that  your  only  reason?" 

**Yes." 

"How  do  you  know  that  times  are  bad?     What  is  the 
source  of  your  information?" 


296  Salesmanship 

•'Well,  I  get  it  from  the  dealers  themselves — and  you 
don 't  have  to  take  my  word  for  it.  Ask  any  traveling  man 
in  my  territory." 

There  was  a  long  pause  before  Gregory  spoke  again. 
Finally  he  resumed : 

"One  of  two  things  is  going  to  be  lost  \\'ithin  the  next 
thirty  days. 

** Either  you're  going  to  lose  your  job  or  you're  going 
to  lose  that  mental  attitude  which  is  making  you  lose 
sales. 

**Mind,  I  don't  put  all  the  blame  on  you.  But — you've 
got  to  stand  your  share. 

' '  In  the  first  place,  I  '11  admit  freely  and  unqualifiedly  that 
times  are  hard — that  the  merchants  are  not  buying  as 
freely  as  they  do  under  normal  conditions. 

*'And  the  result  is  that  nearly  every  traveling  man  in 
your  section  is  scared  to  death.  He  walks  into  a  mer- 
cliant's  store  not  expecting  to  get  an  order,  and,  as  a 
rule,  doesn't. 

"That  very  condition  spells  opportunity  for  you. 

"There  may  lie  a  sniallor  volume  of  business  today  in 
your  territory  than  there  has  been  for  years  past,  but 
the  very  fact  that  everybody  feels  blue  makes  it  possible 
for  yon  to  increase — yes,  increase — your  business  by  get- 
ting more  than  your  share. 


High-Speed  Helps  297 

"Your  actual  orders  from  established  trade  are  going 
to  be  smaller;  I'll  admit  that.  Then — your  salvation  lies 
in  opening  new  accounts — a  lot  of  them. 

"And  you're  not  going  to  do  it  by  going  in  with  lugu- 
brious blue  all  over  your  face. 

"The  whole  trouble  with  you  is  the  fact  that  you've  been 
listening  to  hard-times  talk  from  merchants  and  other 
salesmen  until  you're  affected  in  much  the  same  way  that 
you  would  be  at  a  funeral  with  a  lot  of  weeping,  wailing 
mourners  around.  You're  feeling  dubious  about  things 
yourself.  You're  just  like  all  the  rest  of  them  and  that  is 
putting  ciphers  on  your  sales  sheet  where  orders  ought 
to  go. 

"There's  just  one  thing  for  you  to  do.  Just  remember 
that  the  corpse  these  fellows  are  burying  is  no  kith  nor 
kin  of  yours  and  that  while  they're  doing  the  mourning  is 
just  the  right  time  for  you  to  get  out  after  business. 
You've  less  competition  today  than  you  go  up  against  in 
good  times. 

"Now  don't  misunderstand  me.  Business  is  bad  and 
these  merchants  are  not  looking  for  entertainment.  The 
fool  hand-shaker  who  would  pass  out  a  business  card  and 
a  stale  joke  to  the  man  whose  wife  had  run  away  with  the 
chauffeur  isn't  welcome. 

"And  extending  your  sympathy  to  the  retailer  who  is  up 
against  conditions  isn't  going  to  help  you  any.  Get  that 
out  of  5^our  mind.  Every  other  fellow  with  a  pocket 
loaded  ^dth  empty  order  blanks  is  just  chuck-full  of  s}Tn- 
pathy. 


298  Salesmanship 

"But — mark  this  well — if  you're  a  big  enough  man  to  be 
boss  of  yourself  and  not  let  tJie  other  fellow's  attitude 
affect  you,  you  can  take  orders  after  a  three  years'  drouth 
in  Kansas — orders  that  will  stick — orders  that  will  make 
repeats. 

"Look  here.    Put  yourself  in  the  retailer's  place. 

*' Salesman  after  salesman  comes  in  and  talks — all  along 
the  same  line. 

**That  dealer  knows  that  business  is  bad  in  the  first  place. 

"After  two  hundred  and  forty-three  presumably  intelli- 
gent salesmen  have  agreed  with  him  and  made  it  a  little 
worse,  tliat  dark  gray  cloud  that  originally  hung  over  his 
business  horizon  begins  to  turn  so  black  that  India  ink 
is  a  pale  blue  in  comparison. 

"Then  you  come  along. 

"Right  hero,  you're  going  to  do  one  of  two  things.  You're 
either  going  to  join  in  with  the  other  two  hundred  and 
forty-three  and  go  forth  orderless  or  else  you're  going  to 
create  and  stand  in  a  class  by  yourself. 

"You  are  not  only  prepared  not  to  admit  that  business 
is  bad,  but  amply  equipped  to  prove  that  it  is  good  with 
you — good  on  your  line — good  with  the  retailers  who  sell 
your  product. 

"And  when  you  point  out  to  the  retailer  that  now,  while 
his  competitor  is  retrenching  and  getting  under  cover, 
is  the  time  to  reach  out  and  get  more  than  his  share  of 


High-Speed  Helps  299 

the  volume,  you  look  like  a  bona-fide  ray  of  God's  sun- 
shine breaking  through  that  inky  cloud  of  business 
despair. 

**And  we  all  welcome  sunshine. 

*'It's  all  up  to  you,  Montgomery.  You  are  either  your 
own  master  or  the  creature  of  circumstances  and  if  you 
are  a  man,  you  are  man  enough  to  beat  the  game  when 
fate  and  circumstances  have  put  the  right  cards  in  your 
hand." 

For  two  days  Gregory  talked  along  this  line  to  Mont- 
gomery and  on  the  third  morning,  '*  washed,  starched, 
and  ironed,"  back  he  went  to  his  territory. 

He  stopped  at  Pierre  on  the  way  back  and  the  mail  car- 
ried a  bona-fide,  uncancellable,  full  list  price  order  for 
fourteen  spreaders  from  the  merchant  who  on  his  in-trip 
had  consented  to  let  him  ship  one  on  approval. 

High-Speed  Devices 

There  isn't  a  progressive  sales  manager  in  the  country 
who  hasn't  had  this  sort  of  experience  with  individuals 
— bringing  them  in,  keying  them  up  to  high  speed,  send- 
ing them  back  on  their  territories,  and  seeing  immediate 
results  accrue. 

But  the  big  problem  is  how  to  get  this  high-speed  germ 
working  with  all  the  sales  force  simultaneously.  To 
secure  big  results,  anything  of  this  character  has  got  to 
hit  the  force  as  an  entirety  instead  of  merely  affecting 
individuals. 


300  Salesmanship 

In  all  work  along  tlie  line  of  getting  men  in  the  high-speed 
gear,  the  careful  sales  manager  will  remember  that  stim- 
ulus in  tJiis  direction  is  like  a  stiff  h\'i)odermic  injection; 
the  results  axe  immediate  but  the  effect  fades  away  unless 
additional  doses  are  administered  to  keep  it  up. 

Moreover,  you  cannot  consistently  work  a  force  at  high 
speed  the  year  around.  It  wears  them  down  and  wears 
them  out  even  if  you  are  successful  in  securing  the  results. 
Our  experience  with  specialty  companies  who  aim  at  100 
per  cent  high  speed  the  year  around  shows  that  their 
men  have  to  be  continually  replaced,  like  the  burnt-out 
bearings  of  a  racing  car. 

The  safe  and  sane  way  of  doing  it  is  to  determine  the 
season  when  top  speed  w^U  bring  the  biggest  results — the 
buying  season,  to  be  exact;  then  put  on  the  steam  when 
the  road  is  clear. 

SALES  CONVENTIONS 

The  two  bigy  broad,  well-defined  channels  of  high-speed 
helps  lie  through  conventions  and  contests  or  both  in  con- 
junction. 

The  sales  convention  as  a  means  of  inspiring  and  build- 
ing men  is  absolutely  governed  by  the  conditions  sur- 
rounding the  business. 

A  jobber,  for  instance,  whose  men  are  prjictically  all 
traveling  in  one  state  may  hold  a  convention  every  Sat- 
urday. 

On  the  otJier  liand,  a  nianufacturor  whose  men  cover  the 
continent  from  Maine  to  California  plans  to  hold  one 


Highr-Speed  Helps  301 

convention  at  the  beginning  of  each  of  his  two  big  yearly 
selling  seasons.  His  men  get  the  '* ginger"  for  a  flying 
start  and  the  sales  manager  maintains  it  by  means  of 
strong,  well-calculated  weekly  letters  while  the  boys  are 
on  the  road. 

In  the  wholesale  clothing  business,  where  the  entire  year's 
selling  is  done  in  two  months  in  the  fall  and  two  months 
in  the  spring,  leaving  eight  months  that  the  salesmen  are 
not  selling,  one  fall  and  one  spring  convention  plus  the 
letters  that  follow  suffices  to  carry  the  men  through  their 
season  with  all  sails  up. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  call  your  attention  to  the  advis- 
ability of  holding  these  meetings  at  week-ends  or  on  Sat- 
urday, so  that  the  men  can  be  in  their  territories  Monday 
morning  ready  to  use  the  tools  you've  placed  in  their 
hands. 

It  has  been  our  experience  that  the  majority  of  conven- 
tions are  too  long  drawn  out. 

There  are  but  few  situations  that  justify  conventions  of 
over  one  day. 

Starting  in  the  morning,  keeping  it  up  all  day,  and  getting 
the  men  on  outgoing  trains  in  the  evening  is  the  ideal 
way. 

In  the  first  place,  it  condenses  things — tends  to  make 
everything  short,  sweet,  and  to  the  point. 

In  the  second  place,  it  keeps  the  men  from  comparing 
notes,  fraternizing,  and  sowing  the  seeds  of  dissension. 


302  Salesmanship 

Yes,  I  mean  just  what  I  say.  Let  the  home  office  be  tl>e 
clearing  house  that  passes  on,  sorts,  and  gives  out  the 
findings  of  individual  salesmen  to  the  force  as  an  entirety. 

We  have  had  so  many  cases  where  one  salesman  dis- 
satisfies another  that  we  strongly  feel  that  it  is  good 
business  practice  to  keep  salesmen  from  personal  confer- 
ences as  much  as  possible. 

Plan  your  convention  from  two  angles :  the  inspirational 
and  the  practical. 

Let  the  inspirational  side  be  designed  to  arouse  enthu- 
siasm through  uplift  work  and  sheer  force  of  mass  feel- 
ing. 

Plan  your  practical  side  so  that  the  finished  convention 
leaves  in  each  man's  mind  some  point  or  points  that  he 
can  carry  back  with  him  and  put  to  practical,  everyday 
use  in  his  work  in  the  field. 

Follow  up  your  convention  by  a  brief  letter  covering  the 
useful  points  that  were  brought  up  therein,  so  that  each 
man  has  it  on  paper  as  well  as  verbally  presented. 

The  results  of  several  months'  woik  with  a  large  manu- 
facturing concern  which  wo  numbered  as  a  client  were 
extremely  satisfactory.  Yet  we  felt  that  there  was  room 
for  a  big  step  forward  llirough  increasing  the  size  of 
initial  orders  and  closing  business  while  it  was  there  to 
close. 

We  mapped  out  a  program  carefully  and  called  a  con- 
vention of  the  men  with  just  one  purpose  in  mind,  namely, 


High-Speed  Helps  303 

to  convey  to  them  and  show  them  how  to  use  the  three 
things  we  felt  were  needed  to  make  a  further  increase. 

The  convention  was  a  success — a  big  one.  In  addition  to 
thoroughly  explaining  and  illustrating  the  points,  we 
catechized  each  man  carefully  to  see  that  he  had  it  well 
grounded  in  his  own  mind. 

The  first  week  after  the  convention  sales  increased  mate- 
rially, solely  as  a  result  of  what  the  men  remembered. 

The  second  week  we  prepared  a  letter  embodying  the 
points  and  sent  it  out,  feeling  that  having  it  on  paper 
would  be  an  additional  help. 

Here  is  an  edited  version  of  the  letter. 

My  dear  Smith  : 

I  want  you  to  do  me  a  favor. 

Keep  this  letter. 

Each  morning  before  you  leave  your  hotel,  read  the  fol- 
lowing paragraphs;  make  yourself  this  promise: 

Today  I  am  going  to  do  three  things  with  every 
merchant  I  call  upon: 

First,  I  am  going  to  make  up  my  mind  before 
I  enter  his  store  that  he  can  be  sold  and  that  I 
can  sell  him. 

Second,  when  I  feel  the  time  is  ripe,  I  am  going 
to  start  to  take  his  order — settle  up  the  detaUs 
just  a«  if  he  had  said  "Yes"  verbally. 

Third,  instead  of  asking  him  how  much  he  wants, 
I  am  going  to  tell  him  how  much  he  should  have 
and  take  his  order  for  that  amount. 

And  every  day  keep  this  promise. 

Yours  truly. 


304  Salesmanship 

The  tilings  outlined  in  that  letter  were  the  points  we  had 
covered  at  the  convention.  Smile,  if  you  will,  but  it  pro- 
duced big  results. 

In  this  connection,  the  southern  salesman  for  a  big  motor 
truck  company  attended  a  convention  at  the  home  oflSce. 

He  was  on  a  straight  commission  basis  and  his  earnings 
had  been  about  fifty  dollars  per  week. 

Almost  immediately  after  the  convention  his  commission 
checks  began  to  go  up.    He  practically  doubled  his  sales. 

The  sales  manager,  curiosity  aroused,  called  him  in  off 
his  territory  to  find  out  what  points  had  been  responsible 
for  this  wonderful  increase  in  earnings. 

McCormick,  the  salesman,  told  his  story  in  a  very  few 
words.    Here  it  is : 

' '  I  used  to  go  in  and  call  on  a  man  as  a  matter  of 
duty,  explain  the  proposition  to  him,  and  feel  that 
I  had  done  my  part  whether  he  purchased  or  not. 

"The  convention  woke  me  up.  It  made  me  realize 
that  other  fellows  no  better  than  I  were  earning 
three  and  four  times  as  much.  I  asked  myself 
'Why?'  and  decided  that  they  were  really  selling 
goods  where  I  was  just  taking  orders. 

"So  when  I  went  hack  on  my  territory,  I  made  up 
my  mind  to  sell.  When  I  called  on  a  man,  I  went 
in  with  the  finn  determination  to  secure  his  order 
instead  of  just  making  a  friendly  call. 

"That's  why  my  sales  have  increased." 


High-Speed  Helps  305 

Think  it  over. 
Conventions,  unquestionably,  are  a  big  aid  to  high  speed. 

CONTESTS 

Now  on  the  matter  of  contests. 

In  the  first  place,  to  make  a  contest  effective  and  keep  ten- 
sion at  the  maximum  producing  point,  it  must  be  short. 

By  short,  I  mean  over  a  period  of  from  one  to  four 
months,  not  longer. 

You  must  hold  the  prize  within  easy  reach;  the  yearly 
bonus  is  not  half  as  much  temptation  as  the  monthly 
prize. 

In  the  second  place,  your  contest,  to  be  effective,  must  get 
all  the  men  working,  not  just  one  or  two  or  three  of  them. 

To  do  this,  the  prizes  must,  first  of  all,  be  worth  working 
for  and  the  results  necessary  to  gain  the  prizes  must  be 
gauged  according  to  the  individual  salesman's  ability 
and  the  possibilities  of  his  territory. 

If  you  offer  a  first  and  second  prize  for  first  highest  and 
next  highest  volume  of  sales,  for  instance,  it  is  distinctly 
unfair  to  the  bulk  of  tlie  force.  You  can't  expect  the  new 
man  to  sell  as  much  as  the  old.  Some  men  feel  they  have 
no  chance  and  consequently  refuse  to  compete.  You  are 
simply  making  presents  to  the  two  best  men  on  your  force. 
That  is  what  it  amounts  to. 


306  Salesmanship 

In  deWsing  your  contest,  try  to  put  it  on  a  basis  where 
each  man  is  competing  with  himself. 

We  have  found  that  plan  the  ideal  method  or  basis  for  a 
resultful  contest. 

Establish  a  quota  for  each  man. 

A  quota  is  nothing  more  or  less  than  a  basis  of  expecta- 
tion regarding  the  volume  of  sales  each  individual  should 
produce. 

This  establishes  a  handicap  system  that  arranges  every- 
thing on  a  fair  and  equitable  basis.  The  principle 
employed  is  exactly  the  same  as  that  used  in  a  foot  race 
or  billiard  game  where  contestants  of  unequal  ability 
participate. 

Once  the  basis  of  a  contest  is  decided,  the  prizes  are  the 
next  question. 

Personally,  I  am  absolutely  averse  to  large  cash  prizes. 
The  real  results  of  a  contest  are  obtained  by  the  men 
entering  into  the  spirit  of  the  game  rather  than  through 
a  desire  for  gain. 

If  desire  for  gain  was  the  only  element,  contests  would  be 
absolutely  unnecessary. 

In  the  selection  of  prizes  you  have  your  choice  of  either 
cash  or  merchandise.  As  a  matter  of  fact  a  twenty-five 
dollar  grip  or  a  fifty  dollar  watch  looks  bigger  to  the 
average  man  than  the  cash. 


High-Speed  Helps  307 

Of  course,  where  the  prizes  run  up  into  hundreds  of  dol- 
lars, cash  is  the  thing. 

The  prime  requisites  of  the  successful  contest  are  (1)  a 
fair  basis  for  all  the  men;  (2)  attractive  prizes;  and  (3) 
something  which  we  have  not  as  yet  considered,  namely, 
effective  follow-up. 

Effective  Follow-up  in  the  Contest 
Announce  your  contest. 

Then  continually  keep  your  men  advised  for  the  sake  of 
gaining  and  maintaining  the  competitive  spirit  which  is 
necessary  for  ultimate  results. 

Here  follow,  merely  as  a  matter  of  information,  the  first, 
second,  and  third  letters  on  the  most  primary  form  of 
prize  contest — where  a  man  is  competing  directly  with 
his  own  records. 

LETTER  1 
Dear  Mb.  Davis  : 

I  have  three  traveling  bags.  i 

Extra  fine  ones! 

All  three  are  waiting  for  owners. 

Do  you  want  one? 

Here's  the  proposition.  For  the  sake  of  creating  a  little 
friendly  rivalry  on  "apex,"  I'm  going  to  hang  up  these 
three  bags  as  prizes.  Here's  the  way  they'll  be  distrib- 
uted : 

On  July  1— 


308  Salesmanship 

The  first  bag  goes  to  the  fellow  who  opens  the  largest 
number  of  veiv  accounts  on  "apex"  as  compared  to  his 
own  record  during  the  same  period  last  year. 

The  second  bag  goes  to  the  fellow  who  stands  second  on 
the  same  proposition. 

And  the  third  best  record  gets  the  third  bag. 

The  minimum  new  account  sales  will  be  $50.  Ee-opening 
an  old  account  which  has  not  bought  for  two  years  or  more 
will  count  as  one-half  of  a  new  account  in  this  contest. 

Now  everybody's  got  a  fair  chance  to  get  a  new  travel- 
ing bag.  It  isn't  the  actual  intrinsic  value  of  the  bag — 
not  a  bit  of  it.  It's  the  spirit  of  the  thing — what  the 
bags  stand  for — that  counts. 

I  warn  you  in  advance  that  if  you  bag  one  of  these  bags, 
I'm  going  to  pat  you  on  the  back  until  your  shoulder 
goes  lame.  There's  going  to  be  real  competition  for 
them  and  the  man  who  wins  deserves  high  praise. 

If  I  can  count  you  in  on  the  contest,  sign  the  enclosed 
postal  and  fire  it  back — right  quick. 


Truly  yours. 


Sales  Manaoeb. 


LETTER  2 

Mailed  thirty  days  after  contest  opened. 

Deab  Mr.  Davis: 

Look  out  for  storms  I 

He  is  under   the  wire  with  just  enough  new  accounts  to 
make  you  strain  and  stretch  a  little  to  catch  up. 

There   are   enough   prizes   to   go    'round.     And    there   are 
certainly  enough   men   after   these  prizes. 


High-Speed  Helps  309 

But  high  honors  go  to  the  fellow  who  gets  the  first  bag. 

So — speed  up.     You  're  not  far  away. 

Here  at  the  office  we  recognize  the  fact  that  this  is  an 
unusually  difficult  year. 

But  we  absolutely  and  positively  refuse  to  believe  that 
there  is  a  single  man  on  our  sales  force  who  isn  't  so  much 
better  than  the  other  fellow  that  he  can  turn  any  kind 
of  time  into  prosperity. 

Good  luck  to  you.    Keep  going. 

Truly  yours, 

Sales  Manager. 

LETTEE  3 

Mailed  sixty  days  from  opening  of  contest. 

Dear  Mr.  Davis: 

Two  weeks  after  we  started  this  bag  contest  I  thought  I 
knew  who  they  were  going  to  be  awarded  to. 

A  month  later  I  wasn't  quite  so  sure;  my  opinions  were  a 
little  shaky. 

Right  now  I  'm  frank  to  confess  that  I  haven  't  the  remot- 
est idea  which  way  they're  going  to  go  although  the 
contest  only  runs  thirty  days  more. 

Several  of  the  ' '  dark  horses ' '  have  sped  up  considerably. 

And  imless  some  of  our  former  pace  makers  open  the 
throttle  a  little  wider,  they'll  find  themselves  following 
instead  of  leading. 

It's  up  to  you. 

With  best  regards,  I  am 

Truly  yours, 

Sales  Manager. 


310  Salesmanship 

The  letters  in  between  showed  the  comparative  standing 
of  contestants.  The  sales  manager  wrote  each  man  indi- 
vidually once  every  week  telling  him  where  he  stood  and 
urging  him  to  a  little  greater  effort. 

The  above  brief  outline  gives,  I  believe,  enough  of  the 
convention  and  contest  ideas  to  serve  as  a  practical  work- 
ing basis  from  which  you  can  evolve  what  you  need. 

A  Sales  Clearing-House 

In  looking  back  over  this  material,  I  am  forcibly  struck 
wdth  the  need  for  a  sales  clearing-house. 

If  this  clearing-house  were  established  and  placed  in 
charge  of  a  competent  man  and  if  for  a  period  of,  say, 
five  years  one  hundred  star  sales  managers  in  diversified 
lines  were  to  mail  in  their  best  ideas,  plans,  and  methods, 
to  be  re-distributed  among  the  members  and  be  put  out 
in  printed  form  for  manufacturers  at  large,  it  would 
result  in  a  revision  of  sales  and  distribution  methods 
among  the  industries  of  this  countrj^  that  would  be  little 
short  of  revolutionary. 

That's  a  dream. 

But — I  sincerely  hope  it  comes  true. 

TEST  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  effect  does  the  feelijig  tliat  times  are  bad  have  upon 
the  salesman  ? 

2.  How  does  the  question  of  auto-suggestion  enter  into  this 
factor? 


High-Speed  Helps  311 

3.  So  far  as  the  customer  is  concerned,  what  difference  does 
it  make  whether  an  optimistic  or  pessimistic  salesman  calls? 

4.  What  is  meant  by  high-speed  devices? 

5.  In  what  sense  may  sales  conventions  be  high-speed  devices? 

6.  What    two    matters    should    receive    recognition    on    the 
program  of  a  sales  convention  ? 

7.  What  are  the  objections  to  long  sales  conventions  V 

8.  How  can  the  sales  manager  make  the  effects  of  a  sales 
convention  last  over  a  considerable  period  of  time  ? 

9.  What  are  the  three  prime  requisites  of  a  successful  sales 
contest?    Explain  each. 

10.  WTiat  follow-up  devices  should  be  used  in  conducting  a 
sales  contest  ?    Make  specific  suggestions. 


INDEX 


Ability  to  do  vs.  ability  to  sell,  7. 
20-22. 

Ads  for  positions,  answering,  105  ff., 
111-17. 

Advertising:  methods  of,  16,  17;  not 
alone  sufficient,  19 ;  otiier  factors 
necessary  In  distribution,  187;  prin- 
ciple of,  16  ;  word-of-mouth.  227. 
See  alao  Demand  ;  Sales  administra- 
tion ;  Salesman  ;  Salesmansliip  ;  Sell- 
ing  policies. 

Ambition,  32,  47;  application  of,  50; 
illustrated.  48,  49  ;   value  of,  50. 

Appearance,   32,  34  ff. 

Appearances,   28. 

Approach,    rules   for,    172. 

Argument,  futility  of,  80. 

Auto-suggestion,  78,  295 ;  affirmative, 
75,  76  ;  argument  fatal  in,  76  ;  "feel- 
ing" a  result  of,  72  ;  "hunch"  a  re- 
sult of,  72 ;  illustrated,  TO ;  nega- 
tive, 75,  76 ;  power  of,  77  ;  power 
of,  illustrated,  72-73,  77 ;  subcon- 
scious impression  in,  72  ;  suggestion, 
32,  70 ;  use  of,  71.  ISee  also  Im- 
pressions. 

Business,  defined,  90. 

Business   conduct,   rules   for,    134-35. 

Capitalizing  mind  of  others,  6. 

Circular   letters,   122  ff. 

Clearing-house,  sales,  310.  See  also 
High-speed  helps. 

Concentration,  32,  53 ;  defined,  53 ; 
how  capitalized,  53  ;  illustrated,  54  ; 
rules  for,  55. 

Confidence:  capitalization  of,  16;  gain- 
ing of,  automatic,  33  ;  of  public  to 
be  won.  15 ;  personal  worth  neces- 
sary,    33-34. 

Consumer,     gee  Selling  policies. 

Dealer.  See  Sales  administration  ;  Sell- 
ing policies. 

Dealer  help,   186-88. 

Demand  :  a  basic  fundamental  in  sell- 
ing, 199;  advertising  not  alone  suf- 
ficient to  create.  197 ;  creating  a, 
193,  198 ;  examples  of,  created, 
191  ff.  ;  quality,  features,  price,  Im- 
portant ingredients  of,  202  ff. ;  sup- 
plying a,  196.  .Sep  also  Advertising; 
Sales    administration. 

Demonstration.  177-81. 

Distribution,  factors  In,  204  ;  process 
of,  206.  See  also  Sales  administra- 
tion. 

Eating :  how  to  eat,  40 ;  what  to  eat, 
39. 


Equipment  for  salesmanship,  28  ff. 
Etiiics   and  salesmanship,   10. 
Involution,    89. 

Exclusive  agency.    See  Selling  policies. 
Expense  accounts.    See  Sales  adminis- 
tration. 

Fearles.sness,  32,  41  ;  how  achieved, 
44  ;    illustrated,    42-43. 

Feature,  an  ingredient  in  succe.ssful 
selling,  201.  See  also  Sales  admin- 
istration. 

Feeling,    the    result   of   suggestion,    72. 

First  impressions,   30. 

Food  types,  39. 

Health,  32,  30 ;  food  types  necessary 
in.  39 ;  how  to  eat,  40 ;  requisites 
for,  38. 

High-speed  helps  :  auto-suggestion.  205 
(see  also  Suggestion)  ;  "bad  times." 
295  ;  contests,  305  :  follow-up  let- 
ters, 307  ff.  ;  hints,  294  ff.,  209  ;  hints 
to  salesmen,  303 ;  optimistic  sales- 
man, the,  296-99 ;  sales  clearing- 
house, 310  ;  sales  conventions,  300. 

"Hunch,"    72. 

Ideas,  ability  to  seize  and  apply,  24. 

Impressions  :  analysis  of,  32 ;  con- 
scious, 32,  33 ;  how  made,  30,  31  ; 
mental,  31,  33 ;  physical,  31  ;  sub- 
conscious, 72 ;  suggestion  In,  70-80. 
Sec  also  Auto-suggestion. 

Initiative,  32,  85  :  iHustratlons  of,  85- 
x"  ;  steps  in,  85. 

Interest,  32.  82,  91  ;  differentiated.  83  ; 
illustrated,   83-84  ;    rules   for,   85. 


follow-up.    307  ff. ;    "ginger." 
hints    to    salesmen,    303.      See 
manager ; 


313 


Letters 

260;    .,    _ 

also      Salesman ;      Sales 
High-speed    helps. 

Memory,  32,  58,  90;  capitalization  of. 
58 ;  defined,  58-59 ;  how  acquired, 
59-60  ;  what  it  should  contain,  90. 

Mind,   capitalizing,   6. 

Personal   appearance,   34  ff. 

Personality  :  an  asset.  191  :  classes  of 
individuals,  98  :  illustrated.  94  ff.  ; 
promotion,  winning.  100;  repetition 
of  stated  tasks,  97  :  rules  for  selling 
of,  93  :  securing  right  position,  Im- 
portance of,  lOO ;  selling  of,  93, 
101  ff. 

Personality — plus,    57. 

Positions :  an  investment,  103  ;  an- 
swering ads  for.  107  ff.  :  asking  for 
promotion,    138-59 ;    circular    letter. 


314 


Index 


122:  Inserting  ads  for.  Ill  ft. :  let- 
ters applying  for,  124-26 ;  personal 
Interviews  In  seeiclnjr.  l".^'  ;  promo- 
tion bntk'd  on  merit.  li!6-37  ;  securing 
the  right.  100;  steps  In  secur- 
ing 104;  systematic  effort  In  seek- 
ing' 126 ;  use  of  personal  acquain- 
tance In  seeking.  117  ff.;  winning 
promotion  In,    129  ff. 

Pilce.  Its  bearing  on  sales,  201,  209. 
gee    also    Sales    administration. 

Professions,     the,     and     salesmanship. 

I'romotlon.    how    won,    100.    129-59. 

Quality,  defined.  200.  See  also  Sales 
administration. 

Reliability,  32.  87;  illustrated.  88; 
value  of.  89. 

Sales  administration :  average  sales- 
man's method,  247;  change  route 
cards,  254  ;  compensation  of  sales- 
men ''37  ff.  ;  consumer  demand,  U.: ", 
demand,  a  basic  fundamental  of  suc- 
cessful product.  l'.»9:  demand  for 
fresh  goods,  193;  demand,  how  to 
create  199-200 ;  expense  accounts, 
'>50  251  ;  factors  included  in  distribu- 
tion 204  ;  factors  included  in  price. 
202 ';  feature,  an  important  Ingrocli- 
ent  201  ;  first  principle  of  distribu- 
tion 191  ;  minimum  risk  in  question 
of  compensation  of  salesmen  L44  ; 
policies  In  handling  salesmen.  -'48/1. 
price,  what  it  includes,  202  ;  quality. 
Seflned.  200 ;  reports  to  be  required. 
2.58  ff.  ;  route  and  call  sheets,  25b  , 
route  sheets,  '-i-'^^ :  '•outing  salesmen. 
251  ff. ;  salesmen  in  the  field,  24«} . 
selling  factors,  199.  See  a/so  De- 
mand;  Salesman  ;  Salesmanship  ; 
Selling  policies. 
Sales      conventions.       Bee      High-speed 

Sab^s'^ manager,  the:  attitude  of,  to- 
ward salesmen,  231;  authority  he 
should  possess,  231  ;  change  route 
cards,  2.^.4  ;  classes  of  records  272  ^ 
comp<-nsatlon  of  Rnl''«™en  2.^H-4.  . 
controlling  salesmen  in  the  field. 
"46  ff  •  d'>tail8  hf  should  cover,  2.5i.  . 
expense  account,  250  ;  factors  to  con- 
sider In  hiring  salesmen.  279-80. 
•vlnger"  mttprs,  266 ;  hiring  sales- 
m.-n  on  a  "hunch,"  278;  hiring 
"star"  salpsmen  from  competitors, 
081  •  his  problem.  229  ;  map  and  tack 
system.  254.  274;  records  for  the, 
271  •  rr-fcrences  In  hiring  snli'smi-n. 
2«3  :  reports  to  lx>  required.  2.">K  ff. ; 
results  to  aim  for,  •^:i6 ;  route  and 
call  sheets,  256;  route  sheets.  ....J. 
routing  salesmen,  '■^•'''l  :""',''«"'""  « 
record.  272.  275;  should  shed  de- 
tails  2.'!4  ;  specialty  companies,  2HV  , 
supervision  of  salesmen.  232  ff.  ; 
training  methods.  2H7 ;  training  of 
lalesmen.  276.  292;  types  of.  2.J0 ; 
.  onsklUed    salesmen,    287  ;    waste    In 


hiring  salesmen,  277.     See  also  Sales- 
man ;  Sales  administration. 
Salesmanship  :    ability     without    quali- 
ties  of.    1-5  ;    affirmative   suggestions 
In    75-78 ;   application   of.   to   orofes- 
sions  or  to  business.  10.   12,   13  ;  ap- 
proach,  the,   165,   166;  awakens    not 
creates,    demand,     198  ;     capitalizing 
mind  of  others  a  form  of,  6  ;  consists 
In    making    others    want    what    we 
have,  9;  cutting  prices.  185;  demon- 
stration, the,  165.  177  ;  direct  use  of, 
13  ;  equipment  for,  18  ff.  ;  ethics  and. 
10;   holding  a  job  one  of  the  quali- 
ties  of.    8;    holding    customers    186- 
88  ;  illustrated.  1-5.  14-17.  ;^0--22;  In 
business,    19-22 ;   Income    affected  by 
qualities    of.    5-6;    Indirect    use    of. 
13     19     25  ;    in   medicine,    10  ff.  .    in 
practice    of   law,    1-5;    negative   sug- 
gestions  In.    75;    of   personality.    93, 
iOl  ff. ;  personal  Interview,  the.  127. 
personality  in,  93  ff.  ;  re-orders    18o  , 
rewards  of,  188-89;  securing  the  or- 
der.  165.   181-86;  seizing  and  apply- 
ing ideas  in.  24  ;  selling  factors.  199  . 
specialty   companies.    289;   success  a 
matter  of,   8;    winning  confidence,  a 
fundamental.    15.   16.      Sec   aluo   Ad- 
vertising ;  Salesman  ;  Sales  manager. 
Salesman,     the:     approach      the.     16;>. 
166;  awakens,  not  creates,  demand. 
198      classes    of.    237;    closing    the 
sale,  181-86  ;  commission,  240  ;  com- 
pensation  for.   237.  ^S8;   demonstra- 
tion,   the.    165,     172;    distinguished 
from    the    order-taker.    162  :    his    re- 
wards.   188-89;     holding    customers 
186-88;  minimum  risk  in  ouestlon  of 
compensation.    244  ;    re-orders,    18.1  . 
salary,  238  ;  salary  plus  commission, 
042  ;   salesman's   record.   2i2,   stana- 
ard  practices  for    164  ff.  :^s"P^rv  « '^n 
of    "32  •  the  optimistic,   296-99  ,   un- 
akiired'287;     what     constitutes    a, 
160  ff  '    Kcc  also   Advprtlslng;    Sales 
manager;  Salesmanship;  Selling  pol- 

Salesmen.   hiring  of.     Bee  Sales   man- 

SaSen.  training  of.  8ce  Sales  man 

Sef&fldence,    32,    45;   described    45 ; 
how  gained.  46;  how  manifested,  47. 

Selling    ability.    7.    8.  .       <,   ,       „^ 

Selling   cost.    202.     Bee  also   Sales  ad- 
ministration. 

Selling  knowledge. 

Selling   one's   self. 

Selling    policies: 

nlte.  208  ff.  ;  consumer  policy, 
exclusive  agency  agreements, 
exclusive  agency.  tli.\  22.'« ; 
will  of  consumer.  227  ;  i>rlce. 
•_'09;  selling  the  dealer.  222;  selling 
the  Jobber,  213;  the  Jobber  as  a  fac- 
tor. 220 ;  value  of  sound  policies, 
">08  •  word-of-mouth  advertising,  227. 
Nrc  'alHO  Sales  administration  ;  Sales 
manager. 

Sincerity.    32.   65,  91 ;   application    of. 
56 ;    defined.    55. 


value  of.  26. 
1-26. 
advantages    of 


defl- 
226  ; 
217  ; 
good- 

201, 


Index  315 

Speech,  effective,  32,  61,  90;  exercises  Tact.     32.     80.    91  ;    argument    to    »>« 

In.    68-70;    how   to  be   utilized.   90;  avoided.    80;    fundamentals   of.    81; 

Ingredients  of.   61-66;   practice  nee-  value  of.  8.:. 

essary.  60 ;  training  in.  67.  Will-power,  32,  .jO  ;  application  of.  52  ; 

Study,  value  of,  99.  defined.   50-52. 

Success  a  matter  of  salesmanship,  8.  Work,  value  of,  99. 


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